Harvard Tops Boston College With 82-81 Victory in Season Opener

Freshman Victoria Lippert made her first collegiate start in Harvard's win against Boston College. She had 14 points, four rebounds, a block and a steal in the winning effort. (Photo courtesy of Gil Talbot).

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Junior Emma Markley was one of four Crimson players to score in double figures as the Harvard women’s basketball team held off Boston College, 82-81, Saturday evening at the Lavietes Pavilion. It was the second straight win for the Crimson over the Eagles and first season opening victory for Harvard since 2004.

Markley went 10-for-18 from the field for 23 points, a team-high five rebounds and two blocks, while freshman Victoria Lippert added 14 in her collegiate debut. Junior Jackie Alemany came off the bench to score 13, while classmate and co-captain Claire Wheeler posted 12 points. Sophomore Brogan Berry set up the offense with a career-high nine assists.

Harvard shot 52.8 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc. Alemany, Wheeler and co-captain Christine Matera each drained three treys in the winning effort.

Boston College took the early lead and moved out to a 14-5 advantage seven minutes into the game. The Crimson cut away at the deficit and took its first lead of the game, 19-18, with 8:04 left in the first half. The Crimson controlled the remaining minutes of the stanza but held just a one-point advantage at the half, 34-33.

In the second session, Harvard opened up a seven-point advantage on a Lippert jumper after four minutes of play. The Eagles chopped away at the lead and did not let the Crimson get ahead by more than two points over the next nine minutes. Boston College regained the lead on a Jasmine Gill three-pointer with 7:47. The Eagles extended it to five twice over the next two minutes, but the Crimson, with the help of the 1,007 fans in attendance kept it close. Two free throws from Lippert and another from Markley down the stretch made the difference.

Harvard ties the Eagles in the all-time series and has won five of the last six contests. This game featured 15 ties and nine lead changes and neither team lead by more than nine points.

The Eagles edged the Crimson on the boards, pulling down 29 rebounds, one more than Harvard. The Crimson had 22 assists and four blocks in the game as well.

Harvard hosts Maine in its second game of the season Tuesday, Nov. 17. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.