March 14th, 2025 (Providence) – Ivy Madness is here, and we had a much-anticipated matchup between the Princeton Tigers and the Harvard Crimson. The game lived up to the hype, featuring a record-breaking performance from Harvard’s Harmoni Turner, who led her team to a dramatic 70-67 victory
Princeton won the opening tip, but Harvard committed an early turnover. However, Turner quickly made up for it by sinking a three, putting Harvard on the board first. She followed with another deep shot, giving Harvard a 6-2 lead. Princeton’s Ashley Chea answered with a three of her own, bringing the Tigers within one at 6-5. The Princeton fans erupted, chanting, “Let’s go Tigers!” before a timeout was called with 4:58 remaining in the first quarter.
Princeton came out of the break strong, with Fadima Tall knocking down a pull-up jumper to give the Tigers a 7-6 lead. Harvard committed another turnover, and Ashley Chea capitalized with a tough shot off the glass to make it 9-6. Harvard’s Abigail Wright battled inside, grabbing an offensive rebound and finishing cutting the deficit to 11-8. Princeton extended its lead with an Olivia Hutchinson jumper, making it 13-8.
Turner wasn’t done, draining another three to pull Harvard within four, but Princeton held onto a 15-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Turner stayed hot, drilling another deep shot to bring Harvard within two at 16-14. Princeton’s Skye Belker responded with a three, and Fadima Tall’s free throws extended the Tigers’ lead to 23-16. Ashley Chea added an and-one, pushing Princeton’s advantage to double digits, 26-16. Harvard’s Gabby Anderson banked in a three, but Princeton continued to control the pace, heading into halftime up 36-31. Turner was the story of the night, dropping 21 points by halftime while shooting an impressive 5-of-7 from three-point range. Princeton dominated the paint, leading 24-10 in inside scoring.
The third quarter saw Princeton extend its lead, but Harvard kept battling and chipping away. Turner continued to score at will, and with under five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, she put Harvard ahead 66-64. Princeton’s Sky Belker hit a clutch three to bring the Tigers within one, 68-67, but a costly turnover in the final seconds sealed the game. Harvard secured the 70-67 win, and Turner’s 44-point performance will go down in Ivy League history. After the game, she reflected on her performance: “I love my team. A lot of people doubted us, but I love this game. All glory to God.” Harvard will now face Columbia for the Ivy League Championship on March 15 at 5:30 PM.
