Harvard Pulls Away from Big Green in Ivy Opener

Saturday, January 3

Hanover, N.H.

2:00 PM

Dartmouth College

9-5,0-1Ivy League

Harvard

8-6,1-0Ivy League

Harvard

Dartmouth

Harvard Pulls Away from Big Green in Ivy Opener

1/3/2026 5:05:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Justin Lafleur

HANOVER, N.H. — Harvard used a 10-0 run bridging the end of the first half and beginning of the second to turn a 10-point lead into a 20-point advantage, as the Crimson wouldn't look back in downing the Dartmouth women's basketball team, 72-47 on Saturday afternoon inside Leede Arena. In the Ivy League opener for both sides, Cate MacDonald led the Big Green offensively with a career-high 17 points while adding seven rebounds and three assists.

Have yourself a day, Cate MacDonald!

The junior forward hit 17 points on the afternoon with this layup, setting her career high in scoring! 🤩

Gameday Central ➡️ https://t.co/78IcpdeG4p #GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/6XWnW4DWQe
— Dartmouth Women's Basketball (@DartmouthWBB) January 3, 2026

With the loss, Dartmouth falls to 9-5 and 0-1 in. league play. Harvard improves to 8-6 and 1-0.

MacDonald's 17 points came on 7-of-15 shooting, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range. Nina Minicozzi added nine points and five assists, with Olivia Austin tallying eight points and six boards.

Abigail Wright led Harvard with 14 points.

The Big Green outscored the Crimson 16-12 in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late. Harvard grabbed 20 offensive rebounds, which led to an 18-8 edge in second-chance points.

Score: Harvard 72, Dartmouth 47
Records: Harvard (8-6, 1-0 Ivy League), Dartmouth (9-5, 0-1 Ivy League)
Location: Hanover, N.H. (Leede Arena)
Date: Saturday, January 3, 2026

UP NEXT:

The Big Green remain home to host Cornell next Saturday at 1 p.m., featuring a postgame shootaround.

FIRST QUARTER:

With the score tied at two, Harvard staged a 10-2 run, capped off by an Oolivia Jones 3-pointer to give the Crimson a 12-4 lead with 4:19 on the first-quarter clock.
A MacDonald 3-point play pulled Dartmouth within 16-11 with 1:10 left in the quarter, but four straight Harvard points gave the Crimson a 20-11 lead after 10 minutes of play.

SECOND QUARTER:

Harvard's lead swung between nine and 12 for most of the second quarter until an Aubrey Shaw three in the final seconds gave the Crimson a 36-21 halftime lead.
Harvard finished with a 16-10 edge in the stanza, as MacDonald led the Dartmouth offense with four points.

THIRD QUARTER:

The Crimson lead gradually increased in the third, reaching 20 just over a minute in following five straight Harvard points to begin the quarter.
By the end of the quarter, the margin was 29 at 60-31.
Minicozzi led Dartmouth with five points in the quarter — behind a 3-pointer and two free throws — while playing all 10 minutes.

FOURTH QUARTER:

MacDonald scored 10 of her 17 points in the fourth.
A 10-4 Dartmouth run early in the quarter, featured eight points from MacDonald — two 3-pointers and a short jumper. That got the Big Green within 25 at 68-43 with 5:09 remaining.
Twenty-five proved to be the final margin as an Asani Ceaser second-chance layup in the final seconds gave Harvard the 72-47 victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

Dartmouth finished at 34.5% from the floor (19-of-55), including 25.0% from 3-point range (4-of-16).
Harvard shot 43.3% (29-of-67) and 26.3% from behind the arc (5-of-19).
The Crimson held a 45-31 edge in rebounds.
Dartmouth had 15 assists on 19 made field goals.