Bikofsky Sets Brown Record, Women's Basketball Knocks Off Harvard, 83-80

Friday, February 6

Cambridge, Mass.

7 pm

Brown University

8-11, 2-3

Harvard

8-11, 1-4

Brown

Harvard

Bikofsky Sets Brown Record, Women's Basketball Knocks Off Harvard, 83-80

2/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Bikofsky's four treys against Harvard on Friday, including her record setting three-pointer.

BOSTON – Sophie Bikofsky (Newton, Mass.) set a program record for career three-point field goals and Ellise Sharpe (Tipp City, Ohio) posted 19 points in a thrilling Brown women's basketball 83-80 triumph over Harvard at Lavietes Pavilion on Friday.

The Bears (8-11, 2-3 Ivy) snap an eight-game losing skid on the road against the Crimson (8-11, 1-4 Ivy), recording their first victory at Lavietes since 2006.

Bikofsky's four treys eclipsed the previous record of 203 career three-pointers held by Lauren Clarke '14, as the senior captain posted 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and hauled in seven rebounds.

For the second consecutive contest, freshman Megan Reilly (Norwood, N.J.) chipped in with 13 points, also adding four assists. Also adding to the Brown cause were Kennedy Martin (Los Angeles, Calif.), Natalie Ball (Orlando, Fla.), and Rebecca Musgrove (Plainview, N.Y.). Martin added nine points and nine rebounds, Ball deposited nine points and eight rebounds, while Musgrove posted 10 points.

After an ominous start with freshman Janie White leaving the game just nine seconds in due to injury, the Bears came out firing from the field, connecting on nine of their first 12 attempts from the floor. Bikofsky got the Bears rolling with a trey, followed by a jumper on the next possession to give Brown an early 5-0 cushion.

Sharpe kept the Brown offense running at high octane early on as she intercepted AnnMarie Healy's outlet pass and cruised in uncontested to put Brown up 11-8.

The Crimson's hot shooting from the outside prevented the Bears from opening up a larger cushion as Erin McDonnell and AnnMarie Healy cashed in from long distance, knotting the game at 13-13 at the first media timeout.

Martin once again gave the Bears a strong presence in the paint as she hauled in seven rebounds in the midst of a strong battle with Harvard's Temi Fagbenle. Brown maintained its lead and eventually grabbed its largest cushion of the first half at seven on Musgrove's free throws with 2:31 to play. Back-to-back baskets by the Crimson drew them within three at 40-37 entering the locker room.

After an 8-2 run that gave the Crimson a five-point advantage early in the second half, Musgrove and Bikofsky cashed in on back-to-back treys to regain the lead for the Bears.

A see-saw affair in the final minutes saw the host Crimson hold a 77-76 lead with 38 seconds to play. With Harvard inbounding, a swarming Bears defense forced a turnover right before Musgrove found Sharpe and the junior converted on a layup while drawing a foul, completing the three-point play to put the Bears up 79-77.

Crucial free throws from Sharpe and Musgrove in the final seconds sealed things for the Bears after Ali Curtis' three brought Harvard back within a point with seven seconds left.

Temi Fagbenle paced the Crimson with 28 points and 12 rebounds, while Healy added a double-double of her own with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Brown is right back in action tomorrow night at Leede Arena against the Big Green of Dartmouth beginning at 6 p.m.

Tickets for all Brown women's basketball games can be purchased online, calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or walking up to the Box Office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.