Box Score Bulldogs Shoot A Season-High 48.3-Percent From The Field.
LOWELL, Mass. - All in attendance at the Costello Athletic Center did not get cheated on Monday night when Yale women's basketball dropped a close game to the UMass-Lowell River Hawks, 80-72, in a game where both teams shot a combined, lights-out 59-of-122 (.484) from the field.
In a game of runs and hot streaks by both squads, the Bulldogs ultimately fell short, denying Class of 1954, Joel E. Smilow head coach Chris Gobrecht the first of many opportunities to earn her historic 108th win at Yale, which would be a new program record.
Despite a double-double from junior forward Meredith Boardman (Oak Park, Ill.) in the form of 10 points and 12 rebounds, as well as a team-high 17 points from sophomore forward Katie Werner (Phoenix, Ariz.), the River Hawks' offense would not be silenced.
The Elis jumped out to a quick lead and went into the locker room with a 35-32 advantage at halftime. Boardman had nine of her rebounds in the first half, while junior guard Nyasha Sarju (Seattle, Wash.) provided eight points off the bench, matching Werner for the team-high at that point.
The game was close for the first five minutes of the second half, as Yale hung on to a slim lead. The turning point came when a three-pointer by UL's Nicole Hayner gave the River Hawks a 48-46 lead at 14:14, a lead they would not relinquish.
In a stretch of a little under two minutes, Hayner scored nine consecutive points for the River Hawks, as part of a 19-6 run that put UL ahead, 60-50.
A 6-0 run by the Bulldogs, orchestrated by senior guard Sarah Halejian's (Wyckoff, N.J.) two straight jumpers, put the Elis back in the game.
Just as Yale would close in though, the River Hawks would keep pushing ahead. Lindsey Doucette scored nine of her 15 points in the final six minutes of regulation. Doucette's jumper with 1:05 remaining put her team up by nine and the game out of reach.
Four points by junior guard Whitney Wyckoff (West Chester, Ohio) and six points by Halejian in the final five-and-a-half minutes of regulation kept the Bulldogs close, but unable to take back the lead.
The Bulldogs broke out of their early-season shooting slump in a big way, shooting 48.3-percent from the field, which included a 53.6-percent mark in the second half (15-of-28). Before UMass-Lowell, the highest team shooting percentage was 40.5-percent in a victory over Holy Cross on Nov. 18.
UMass-Lowell, however, answered the bell by shooting 48.4-percent from the field, making 17-of-31 shots in the second half, including five three-pointers.
Halejian provided double-digit scoring for the eighth straight game to start the season, collecting 14 points, as well as five assists, on the night. Sarju had a season-high 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting, including two shots from long range.
Werner was very efficient from the field, converting on 8-of-12 attempts on the way to her career-high scoring night (previous best was 16 vs. Holy Cross this season).
Wyckoff and freshman guard Mary Ann Santucci (Seattle, Wash.) each chipped in six points, with the freshman also grabbing five rebounds.
UMass-Lowell's guard play proved to be a tough challenge for the Bulldogs, as Shannon Samuels and Jasmine McRoy scored a combined 45 points for the home team. McRoy had a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds.
The two teams proved to be evenly-matched, as both grabbed 11 offensive rebounds, scored 11 second-chance points, and scored 36 points in the paint. UMass-Lowell had a 20-19 bench scoring advantage.
It was only the third game this season that Yale was outshot by its opponent (62-60 shots). Coming into the game, the Bulldogs averaged an Ivy League-best 16.9 offensive rebounds per game, resulting in second-chance possessions.
The Bulldogs will now have a nine-day break from the hardwood to focus on final exams, but will return to action on Dec. 17 when they travel to play Wagner in Staten Island at 8 p.m.
Filed by Steve Lewis, Yale Sports Publicity Assistant
