The sun has finally set on the Harvard women's basketball dynasty.

With a pair of losses at Penn and Princeton this weekend, Harvard (8-14, 5-6 Ivy) was eliminated from the Ivy League title race, signaling the official realization of a quasi-predetermined fate--the end of the Crimson's three-year hold on the Ancient Eight crown.

The fatal blow came Saturday night, when the front-running Tigers (14-9, 9-2) won a first-to-50 contest, 51-48, in double overtime. Freshman Katie Gates, whose 30-foot buzzer-beater vanquished Dartmouth earlier this season, launched a 50-foot prayer at the end of the second overtime session, but the shot clanged off the side of the rim.

Harvard's gutsy effort against Princeton came on the heels of a disappointing 84-67 loss to Penn (10-13, 6-5) on Friday night. Quaker junior guard Mandy West (27 points) and sophomore forward Diana Caramanico (26 points, 13 rebounds) combined for 36 of Penn's 55 second-half points, as the Crimson came apart at the seams after an even first half.

Princeton 51, Harvard 48 (2OT)

The last time the Crimson women failed to average a point per minute of basketball was during its 3-22 1983-84 campaign, in Coach Kathy Delaney-Smith's second year at the helm.

The fact that Delaney-Smith is happy with her team's play speaks volumes about the pace of Princeton basketball. The Tiger women, who share the methodical modus operandi of their men's team, allow just 55.3 points-per-game, second in the nation.

"I'm proud of our effort," Delaney-Smith said. "I'm proud of everything we brought on the floor. However, we're just not putting the ball in the basket. It was an ugly offensive game by both teams."

The two teams shot a combined 32.0 percent from the floor in a game plagued by re-directed shots, airballs and 40 turnovers, most of which seemed to come off of tipped passes. The game reached its offensive nadir in the first overtime session, in which a total of four points were scored.