Bruno suffered losses at home to conference rivals Dartmouth on Friday and Harvard on Saturday. The Bears fell to the Big Green 49-41 and to the Crimson 68-58.
Brown (7-11, Ivy League 1-3) established a steady lead less than five minutes into the first half Saturday and continued applying pressure until halftime. The Bears were led by Jordin Juker ’14, who was four for four at the free-throw line, and Lauren Clarke ’14, who contributed three treys. Though Brown finished the half with a small lead, Harvard, now tied with Dartmouth for second in the Ivy League, amped up its defense in the second half.
“Harvard always comes ready to play,” said co-captain Caroline King ’13. “We really have to work on offense to make smart, effective passes and get them off-balance.”
As the second half continued, Bruno’s shooting percentage from the field declined from 50 percent in the first half to 22 percent in the second. At the same time, the Crimson, led by Temi Fagbenie, aggressively attacked the basket. Fagbenie, a 6-foot-4-inch member of Great Britain’s 2012 Olympic basketball team, was a challenging opponent the Bear’s defense needed to account for, said Head Coach Jean Burr.
The teams went back and forth in baskets, with the two squads tied at 40 with 15 minutes left in the game. Harvard went on an unanswered 11-point run, due to a combination of the offensive efforts of Fagbenie and Christine Clark, Harvard’s leading scorer.
Despite the loss, Clarke, the game’s top scorer, had an impressive game, racking up 20 points for the second night in a row.
“She commands the respect of her teammates and she’s very consistent,” Burr said.
King said the Bears will aim to be more consistent in their upcoming games and finish as strong as they start.
“We have an early offense,” Burr said. “We get points on one side of the court, but we tend to tighten up offensively.”
The Bears play Princeton on Friday in the Pizzitola Center. The No.1-ranked Tigers are currently undefeated in the Ivy League.
“They’re very determined and we’re looking to work them,” Burr said. “Basketball’s great because it’s so volatile — any given team can beat another on any given night. It’s exciting.”
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