Harvard Welcomes Maine for Second Straight Home Contest

Photo of junior Jackie Alemany courtesy of Gil Talbot.

Ivy League Report

Emma Markley Player of the Week Release

Complete Game Notes

Particulars
Harvard hosts Maine in its second straight home contest Tuesday. The Crimson looks to improve to 2-0 on the season for the first time since 2004-05.

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Home on the Range
Harvard has not played the first two games of the season at home since 2001-02 when the Crimson hosted Wagner and Boston University to start the season.

Last Time Out
The Crimson held off Boston College, 82-81, Saturday night. Emma Markley led four Crimson players in double figures with 23 points. Victoria Lippert (14), Jackie Alemany (13) and Claire Wheeler (12) also reached double-digits.

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. 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. BC 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.

Conference Honors
Emma Markley was named the Ivy League’s first Player of the Week for the 2009-10 season. She earned the honor for her 23 points, five rebounds and two blocks against Boston College. It was the fourth player of the week honor and fifth weekley honor of her career. Victoria Lippert earned a spot on the honor roll.

The Crimson From Three
Harvard connected on 11 three-point baskets against Boston College, a feat it accomplished just once last season.

Accuracy
Harvard shot 52.8 percent from the field against Boston College. The Crimson shot better than that only four times in 2008-09.

Welcome to the 80s
Harvard amassed 82 points in its win over Boston College. Its the first time the Crimson scored 80 points in a season opener since 2003. Harvard went - in 2008-09 when scoring 80 or more points.

Five for Fighting
Harvard’s starting line-up against Boston College featured two juniors, two sophomores and one freshman. Victoria Lippert is just the second freshman in the last five years to start the first game of the season. Brogan Berry was the other.

A Helping Hand
Brogan Berry handed out a career-high nine assists against Boston College. She was second on the team and fifth in the league in helpers last winter (3.45 per game).

Pass the Rock
Harvard had 22 assists in its win over Boston College. The last time the Crimson handed out 22 or more assists was March 6, 2009 against Brown (23).

A Glance at the Black Bears
Maine opened its season with a 61-58 win over Central Connecticut State Friday night. Amanda Tewksbury knocked down a three-point basket with five seconds left in the game to lift her team to victory.

Tewksbury finished with a game-high 20 points on a 9-for-9 shooting effort. Samantha Wheeler also reached double figures for the Black Bears.

Maine shot 40.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. CCSU held a 39-38 advantage in rebounds.

Last Meeting
Emma Markley and three other players scored in double figures to down Maine, 73-50, Dec. 14 at Lavietes Pavilion.

Markley put up 19 points and pulled-down a career-high 14 rebounds in her third double-double of the season. Emily Tay ’09 scored 14 points, including the 1,000th of her career, and dished out nine assists. Christine Matera and Niki Finelli ’09 scored 11 and 10, respectively.

A 9-2 run to start the second and a 22-8 run later in the half gave the Crimson a comfortable lead. After Harvard went up by 31 with just over five minutes to play, the Black Bears cut it to 23 several times, but would get no closer.

The Series
Maine holds a 6-3 advantage in the all-time series. The team first met in 1983 with the Black Bears winning the first four games. Harvard has won two straight over Maine, including a 73-50 victory last December. Only two games in the series have been played away from Lavietes Pavilion.

The Crimson and the America East
Harvard is 38-45 against teams from the America East. This year, Harvard will play three teams from the America East conference, including two at home.

Close Encounters
Harvard is 8-4 since the start of the 2006-07 season in games decided by five points or less. Counting Dec. 17’s win over UCSB, Dec. 11’s win against Vermont and two Ivy League contests last winter, Harvard is 5-0 in games decided by two points or less: Penn, 63-62 (Feb. 1, 2008), Columbia, 71-70 (Feb. 29, 2008) and Boston College (Nov. 14, 2009).