Three Games In Three Days
LIVE STATS: Hall of Fame Women's Challenge
VIDEO: Hall of Fame Women's Challenge
2015-16 Yale Stats | @YaleWBB on Twitter | Game Notes
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Splitting the first two games of the season is the simple way of seeing how the Yale women's basketball did in the first week of 2015-16. To know how close it came to a 2-0 record and a program-defining win is to know the real story.
Just a week after nearly knocking-off Dayton, a team receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll, the Bulldogs (1-1) shift their focus to an intense stretch this weekend in the Naismith Hall of Fame Women's Challenge in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Recently coming off a 67-34 trouncing of Albertus Magnus in the home-opener, the Elis will take on Iona, Fairleigh Dickinson and North Carolina this weekend – before finishing the tournament on Sunday, Nov. 29 against West Virginia at Mohegan Sun.
The Bulldogs face the Gaels on Friday night at 8 p.m., the Knights on Saturday at 5 p.m. and the Tar Heels in the weekend finale on Sunday at 3 p.m. All games will be played in the Carmichael Arena on the Chapel Hill campus.
Live stats, a video stream on GoHeelsTV (non-HD is free), and game updates on Twitter (@YaleWBB) will be available for all contests to keep up with the Elis.
Joel E. Smilow '54 head coach Allison Guth picked up her first-career win as a Division I head coach against the Falcons this past Sunday. An inspired effort by the Bulldogs in the season-opener at Dayton, losing just 81-75, set the tone for what could be a historic year for Yale women's basketball.
Senior forward Nyasha Sarju (Seattle, Wash.) and sophomore guard Tamara Simpson (North Babylon, N.Y.) each were named to the Ivy League Weekly Honor Roll on Nov. 16 for their performances against Dayton and Albertus Magnus.
Sarju set a career-high with 30 points on 9-of-13 shooting against the Flyers, becoming the first Bulldog player to hit the 30-point mark since Erica Davis scored 36 against Lafayette back in 2004. Simpson had 15 points and tied a career-high with seven steals against Albertus.
The Elis are currently ranked at the top of the Ivy League in several categories, including rebounding (48 per game), assists (18 per game) and turnovers caused (20.5 per game).
Iona Scout
Yale leads the all-time series with Iona, 7-3, including a 65-62 win in the most recent meeting on Jan. 15, 2002.
The Gaels enter the weekend with an 0-2 record, having lost to Stony Brook and Virginia Commonwealth in the first week of the season. Iona finished in fourth place in the MAAC a season ago, going 15-15 (12-8 MAAC).
Two of the top three scorers return to Iona from 2014-15, including F Joy Adams (14.2 ppg) and G Aayliah Robinson (10.9 ppg). Adams also led the team with 12.6 rebounds per game.
In addition to their opponents in the Hall of Fame Challenge, the Gaels notably face Southern California, Rutgers and No. 21 George Washington this season.
Fairleigh Dickinson Report
The Knights will have played just one game when they travel to Chapel Hill this weekend – an 85-78 loss to Manhattan College last Saturday, a team that the Bulldogs will play on Dec. 1 in the Lee Amphitheater.
FDU of the Northeast Conference was 10-20 (7-11 NEC) in 2014-15 – a season that included a 56-48 win over Army and a 79-74 loss to Brown.
Both of the team's top scorers from last season return to the team, including F Erika Livermore, who averaged a double-double (18.5 points, 10.0 rebounds) last season and comes back to play in her redshirt senior year.
With just one graduated senior last season, FDU comes back as an experienced group that utilizes a 3-2 defense, according to Guth.
Tar Heels Breakdown
It is sure to be an intense matchup when the Bulldogs meet the Tar Heels on the hardwood for the first time in program history on Sunday. UNC was ranked No. 20 in the USA Today Coaches Poll at the beginning of the season.
The Tar Heels dropped their first two games of 2015-16 to Gardner Webb and Oregon, before rebounding with a convincing win over Florida A&M on Tuesday night.
Legendary head coach Sylvia Hatchell leads North Carolina in her 28th season in Chapel Hill. The Heels reached the Sweet 16 last season before losing a close 67-65 game to top-seeded South Carolina.
F Xylina McDaniel returns as UNC's top scorer with 11.3 points per game last year. With six seniors on the team this season, the Heels will be showcasing an experienced group when they host the Hall of Fame Women's Challenge this weekend.
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Career-Highs: In addition to Sarju's career-highs in points (30) and rebounds (9) against Dayton, senior center Emmy Allen (Overland Park, Kan.) had a career-high 13 rebounds against Albertus and sophomore guard Mary Ann Santucci (Seattle, Wash.) matched a career-high with six assists in the same game.
Fast Dogs: Yale held a dominant 22-2 advantage in fast-break points against Albertus Magnus on Sunday – due in large part to forcing 27 turnovers in the game.
Loving Long Range: The Elis have attempted 45 three-point field goals in the first two games combined, proving their commitment to the three-point shot in their offense. Sarju and Simpson each have sunk three shots from long range to lead the team.
Filed by Steve Lewis, Yale Sports Publicity
