Bulldogs Winless In Great Alaska Shootout

ANCHORAGE, AK – Yale and Boise State's overtime game on Wednesday gives a new meaning to consolation games everywhere.

In a hard-fought, back-and-forth game with 12 lead changes and no deficit by more than eight points, it was the Broncos (3-2) who survived against the Bulldogs (1-4, 0-0 Ivy), winning 59-53 in the third-place game of the GCI Great Alaska Shootout.

Coming off a timeout with 12 seconds remaining in regulation and the Bulldogs down by two, it was a pass from Katie Werner (Phoenix, Ariz.) to Tamara Simpson (North Babylon, N.Y.) down low for a game-tying layup that sent the game into the extra period.

After a 4-0 run to start overtime, due to a jumper by senior captain Sarah Halejian (Wyckoff, N.J.) and two free throws by Simpson, Boise went on a 6-0 run to counter the Bulldog attack and regain the momentum.

One make and one miss by freshman Jen Berkowitz (Wayland, Mass.) at the charity stripe moved Yale back within one, but when the Broncos needed it most, they made big-time shots.

Broncos' forward Deanna Weaver, who was named GCI Player of the Game, scored six of 13 points for Boise in overtime, using her height and shot-making ability to cause matchup problems for Yale on the defensive end.

"The difference in the game was they had a kid who could elevate over people without running anything, and score shots. You want a player like that down the stretch," said Class of 1954, Joel E. Smilow head coach Chris Gobrecht about Weaver.

Weaver indeed was the difference maker, scoring 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field, while also recording five rebounds.

A layup by Halejian with 41 seconds remaining closed the Boise lead to merely one, but a three-point dagger by Yaiza Rodriguez at 00:16 put the Broncos up for good.

Shooting, not shot selection, was once again Yale's kryptonite as the Bulldogs managed to shoot only 33.9-percent from the field on 19-of-56 shooting, including 1-of-10 from long range. The Broncos shot 71.4-percent in the overtime period, compared to Yale's 33.3-percent.

"We're just shooting the ball so poorly…I thought both teams played really well and both were hungry for a win, and that's what you get when you have that kind of a game," said Gobrecht.

Only 17 hours after the Bulldogs fell to host Alaska Anchorage, 72-63, in the first round of the tournament, the Elis were tipping off with the Broncos back at the Alaska Airlines Center.

Halejian posted her fifth-consecutive double-digit scoring effort, racking up a team-high 17 points for the Elis in the loss. Simpson contributed 13 of her own, making the most of her first collegiate start by playing a season-high 31 minutes.

Berkowitz once again was a force on the glass, pulling down a team-best six rebounds while Werner and freshman guard Mary Ann Santucci (Seattle, Wash.) grabbed five each.

The Bulldogs are now 0-5 all-time playing games in the state of Alaska (0-3 in Northern Lights Invitational in 1985).

"I think it was a great experience for all the youth we have on the floor. I venture to guess we have the youngest team in the tournament in terms of minutes being played by freshmen and sophomores," said Gobrecht. The Bulldogs have eight combined freshmen and sophomores on the team (four each). "To have a nice close game like this and to be reminded that you need to show up every night no matter what, those are big lessons and you're happy to have them early in the year."

"I've never known a team in November that looks anything like it's going to be in January, so you take November for the learning, particularly when you have a team this young," said Gobrecht.

The Bulldogs will fly home on Friday and start preparing for their next game against Monmouth on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the John J. Lee Amphitheater.

Filed by Steve Lewis, Yale Sports Publicity Assistant