FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Ten different players
scored for the Yale women’s basketball team at Sacred Heart
on Monday night, but the Bulldogs came up short to the host
Pioneers, falling by a score of 76-67. Freshman Megan Vasquez paced
the Yale offense with 14 points, but the defending Northeast
Conference Champions got 26 points from Alisa Apo and a
double-double from Callan Taylor to improve to 8-3 on the season.
Yale falls to 4-6 in defeat.
“Sacred Heart is a tough team, especially in their
gym,” said Chris Gobrecht, the Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954
Head Coach of Women’s Basketball at Yale. “If you make
mistakes against them, they’re going to make you
pay”.
Junior Yoyo Greenfield and sophomore Michelle Cashen joined Vasquez
in double figures for Yale with 12 points apiece. Cashen also led
the Bulldogs’ rebounding effort with eight boards as the
visitors were bested on the glass by a 41-32 margin. Freshman Allie
Messimer had a career-high nine points, and junior Mady Gobrecht
added six. Senior Haywood Wright and freshman Ericka von Kaeppler
notched four points each, and two points from senior Melissa
Colborne, junior Victoria Perez and freshman Alicia Seelaus rounded
out the Bulldogs’ offense. Gobrecht and Vasquez each doled
out a team-high three assists.
The contest started at a torrid pace, with Sacred Heart holding a
slim 15-14 lead entering the first media stoppage at the 14:02
mark. Vasquez netted seven points during the opening stretch of
action as the Bulldogs and Pioneers each shot 60% (6-for-10) from
the field. Messimer drained a three out of the timeout to give Yale
a lead and spark a 9-2 run that put the Bulldogs on top, 23-17.
Sacred Heart responded in kind, however, with an 11-4 spurt to
reclaim the lead at 28-27. A Cashen layup on the ensuing possession
gave Yale the edge once again at the 8:16 mark, but that would be
the Bulldogs’ last field goal over the next 7:20 as the home
team raced out to a 43-32 advantage with 56 seconds remaining
before halftime. Yale would net the final three points of the half
to enter intermission trailing by eight points, 43-35.
Vasquez scored nine points to pace the Bulldogs in the frame as
Yale shot 40% (12-for-30) from the field, 37.5% (3-for-8) from
three-point range and 66.7% (8-for-12) from the free throw line.
The Pioneers, led by 17 points by Apo, shot 51.7% (15-for-29) from
the floor, 66.7% (6-for-9) from downtown and 77.8% (7-for-9) from
the charity stripe. Sacred Heart won the rebounding battle, 19-16,
and Yale had the edge in turnovers by an 11-10 margin.
The Bulldogs scored the first five points of the second half to cut
the lead to one possession at 43-40, but the Pioneers soon held a
seven-point cushion at 47-40. A von Kaeppler putback and a quartet
of consecutive Greenfield free throws, awarded courtesy of a Sacred
Heart personal and technical foul, cut the lead down to a single
point at 47-46. Sacred Heart answered back, however, with a 10-2
run as the Pioneers’ lead was soon up to double figures at
63-53 with 7:46 left in the contest. Yale would climb back to
within five, but Sacred Heart’s hot shooting kept the
Bulldogs at an arm’s length as the Pioneers hit their free
throws down the stretch to escape with a 76-67 victory.
“The important thing is that we continue to stick with our
young players and continue to improve”, said Gobrecht.
“We are going to be in good shape entering the Ivy League
season”.
The Bulldogs will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 2 at Kansas
State. Tip-off from Manhattan, Kan. is scheduled for 3 p.m. EST.
Yale will also play at Colorado on Jan. 4 as a part of the Midwest
swing.
report filed by Drew M. Kingsley, Yale Sports Publicity
