A layup off a post move by Malcom, followed by a jumper from Chatten and then a three-pointer from Julie Wheeler all found the net for Providence, and the game was all but over.

"Under penalty of death, whoever was guarding Wheeler was to prevent her from shooting the three," Delaney-Smith said. "It was a mental breakdown on our part."

All Harvard could do was score, foul Providence and hope the Lady Friars would miss the ensuing free throws.

That turned out to be an empty hope, as Providence shot a stunning 85 percent from the charity stripe for the game, missing just one foul shot in the second half.

When all was said and done, Harvard had shot better, out-rebounded and committed fewer turnovers than Providence, but a game isn't won on those stats alone.

"The missing ingredient was 40 minutes of emotion," Delaney-Smith said. "We lost to one of the better teams in the Northeast, and we have to come out of this knowing we are at least as good they are."

Next time, they'll have to play like it as well. Providence  91 Harvard  87

PROVIDENCE, 91-87 Providence  45  46  --  91 Harvard  48  39  --  87

Providence: Horton 0-1 2-2 2; Davis 0-2 0-0 0; Miller 0-0 0-2 0; Chatten 9-15 4-4 22; 0-2 0-0 0; Welden 2-9 7-7 11; Saunders 6-11 4-5 16; Malcolm 7-10 9-9 23; Sullivan 0-0 0-0 0; Wheeler 5-9 1-3 13; 1-4 0-0 2; 0-1 2-2 2; TOTALS: 30-64 29-34 91.

Reinhard 0-0 0-0 0; Davis 4-8 0-1 8; Feaster 7-11 4-7 19; Grossman 0-0 0-0 0; Proudfit 3-11 0-0 6; Seenor 1-1 0-0 2; 1-1 0-0 2; 3-8 0-0 9; Gelman 5-11 3-5 14; Gettleman 4-8 0-0 10; 1-3 0-0 2; Black 4-8 0-0 9; 3-5 0-0 6; TOTALS: 36-75 7-13 87.