Women’s Basketball Drops 68-53 Decision at Harvard

Saturday, February 8

Cambridge, Mass.

4:00 PM

Brown University

7-12 (1-5Ivy)

Harvard

13-6 (4-2Ivy)

Brown

Harvard

Women’s Basketball Drops 68-53 Decision at Harvard

2/8/2020 6:28:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Junior guard McKenna Dale scored a game-high 15 points, but Brown University women's basketball dropped a 68-53 decision at Harvard University on Saturday afternoon at Lavietes Pavilion.

The Bears (7-12, 1-5 Ivy) – who committed just seven turnovers in the game – cut their deficit to 11 points on multiple occasions in the third quarter but could pull no closer as the host Crimson (12-6, 4-2 Ivy) – ranked No. 23 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll – took the win.

"We played hard for the full 40 minutes," Brown assistant coach Eddie Benton said. "We took care of the ball and kept within striking distance, but give credit to Harvard. They are a talented, well-coached team."

Dale (Storrs, Conn.) netted her 15 points on 4-of-9 field goals, 3-of-8 3-pointers, and 4-of-4 free throws alongside four rebounds. She scored 15 or more points for the fourth straight game and averaged 20.5 points per game on the weekend. Dale has now scored in double figures in nine of her last 10 outings.

Sophomore forward Ashley Ducharme (Milton, Mass.) tallied nine points and eight rebounds, making 2-of-3 field goals and 4-of-4 free throws. She averaged 10.0 rebounds per game on the weekend.

Senior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) posted eight points, three assists, and two steals. She now has 1,677 career points moving into 18^th place all-time in Ivy League career scoring.

Sophomore guard Maddie Mullin (Wellesley, Mass.) grabbed a career-high seven rebounds, and junior guard Dominique Leonidas (Stone Mountain, Ga.) distributed a game-high four assists.

For Harvard, Tess Sussman (13 points, 11 rebounds) and Rachel Levy (10 points, 10 rebounds) both posted double-doubles, Lola Mullaney scored a team-high 14 points, and Maggie McCarthy netted 10 points.

For the game, Brown hit 9-of-27 3-pointers (33.3 percent) while Harvard made 12-of-28 treys (42.9 percent). Brown committed just seven turnovers and led 12-5 in points off turnovers while Harvard held a 48-30 rebounding edge and led 19-4 in second-chance points.

The Bears opened the game with a 10-8 lead at the 3:19 mark of the first quarter behind five points from Dale, a 3-pointer from Ducharme, and a layup from Gaziano. The Crimson then closed the quarter with 11 straight points, taking a 19-10 lead at the end of one.

A 3-pointer from Mullin stopped an 18-0 run for Harvard, making the score 26-13 with 5:39 left in the second quarter. A 3-pointer from Dale and layup from freshman forward Dani Short (Aliquippa, Pa.) cut the margin to 29-19 with 3:37 to go in the frame, and a layup from Gaziano kept Brown within 34-21 at halftime.

In the first half, the Bears hit 4-of-12 3-pointers, but the Crimson countered with 7-of-17 shooting from 3-point distance. Harvard held a 24-15 rebounding advantage at the break.

Five points from Dale – including a 3-pointer – and a trey from Gaziano brought Brown within 40-29 with 7:00 to play in the third quarter. A layup through contact from Short and free throws from Leonidas and Dale kept the Bears within 48-35 before Harvard brought a 53-35 lead into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Ducharme scored six points, and freshmen Sydney Rosant (Foster City, Ga.), Myla Cox (Petal, Miss.), and Fiona Finn (West Roxbury, Mass.) all hit 3-pointers.

Next, Brown returns to the Pizzitola Sports Center to host Penn on Friday, Feb. 14 at 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+) and Princeton on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 5:00 p.m. (ESPN+/NESNplus).

Video of all Brown women's basketball home contests and all Ivy League games, home and away, will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

Tickets for all Brown women's basketball games can be purchased online, by calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or by walking up to the box office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.