Dartmouth Steals Ivy League Opener From Harvard, 63-62

Saturday, January 11

Hanover, N.H.

1:00 PM

Dartmouth College

7-7,1-0Ivy League

Harvard

9-5,0-1Ivy League

Harvard

Dartmouth

Annie McKenna and Asha Taylor celebrate after the final buzzer

Photo by: Doug Austin

Dartmouth Steals Ivy League Opener From Harvard, 63-62

1/11/2020 3:27:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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Katie Douglas got a last second steal and Annie McKenna broke away for the winning layup

By: Mike Miezejeski

HANOVER, N.H. – Trailing by one with 17 seconds left in regulation, Katie Douglas knocked away Harvard's inbounds pass and Annie McKenna broke away for the winning layup. Then, as they did all game, the defense stepped up and did not allow the Crimson to get a last-second shot off, sealing the 63-62 victory Saturday afternoon at Leede Arena.

Dartmouth (7-7, 1-0 Ivy League) shot a sizzling 13-of-24 from beyond the arc (54.2%), while Harvard (9-5, 0-1 Ivy League) was limited to 8-of-25 from 3-point land.

Douglas led all scorers with 19 points, knocking down a career-high five 3-pointers, to go along with four rebounds. McKenna finished with 15 points and five assists, while Paula Lenart was also in double figures with 10 points and limited Harvard's post players on the defensive end. Anna Luce chipped in eight points off the bench for the Big Green.

"What a day for Dartmouth women's basketball, it's a great way to start our Ivy League season," said Belle Koclanes, the Gail Koziara Boudreaux '82 and Family Head Coach of Women's Basketball. "We took incredible care of the basketball with 17 assists and only nine turnovers. Everyone from the starters to the bench was phenomenal. We played gritty and with a ton of heart and this is the vision we have for DWB."

McKenna and Douglas combined for five 3-pointers in the opening stanza as Dartmouth raced ahead to a 25-15 lead after the first 10 minutes. Trailing 15-14 with 2:22 remaining in the first, McKenna and Douglas sunk three consecutive trifectas and Luce connected on a jumper to cap off an 11-0 quarter-ending run.

Luce got loose for back-to-back threes in the opening minutes of the second to extend the Dartmouth lead to 31-17 with 7:30 to go. Harvard then closed the half on a 14-3 run of its own, utilizing its inside presence, to trim its deficit to 34-31 at halftime.

Harvard found its 3-point stroke and connected on 5-of-9 from beyond the arc in the third. But Dartmouth continued its torrid pace, sinking three more triples, including a game-tying 3-pointer by Jimena Abejon to end the quarter even at 48 apiece.

The sophomore duo of Douglas and Asha Taylor kept the Big Green in the game with a pair of threes. Harvard then jumped ahead to a 62-58 lead, which was its largest of the game, but that was all the Big Green would allow the rest of the way.

Douglas brought it to a one-point game with a triple with 2:42 on the clock. After missed opportunities in the final minutes, Harvard found themselves with the ball and 17 seconds to go. That was when Douglas knocked away the inbounds pass and McKenna raced ahead for the wide-open game-winning layup. The defense then stepped up, not allowing Harvard to get a shot off in the final 13 seconds to preserve the win.

Dartmouth and Harvard meet again on January 25th at 2 p.m. in Cambridge for the regular season finale between the programs.