Bulldogs Are Unbeaten At Home This Season
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Fresh off a losing comeback effort against West Virginia on Sunday, the Yale women's basketball team looks to get back on the winning track this week with two home games on Tuesday and Thursday.
The Bulldogs (4-3) face Manhattan on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. – a game that can be seen on the Ivy League Digital Network. The Army game on Thursday at 7 p.m. will be available on ESPN3 and the Ivy League Digital Network.
In the finale of the 2015 Hall of Fame Women's Challenge, the Elis cut a once 15-point West Virginia lead down to just three with 1:09 remaining. Yale had a chance to knock-off the Mountaineers, but fell short despite senior guard Whitney Wyckoff's (West Chester, Ohio) 12 points in the final quarter.
Yale finished the tournament with a 2-2 record – holding wins over Iona and Fairleigh Dickinson, while pushing North Carolina and West Virginia to the limit in narrow losses. Senior forward Nyasha Sarju (Seattle, Wash.) led the Bulldogs in points (13.5) and rebounds (6.5) in those four games.
It's been Yale's balanced scoring that has posed difficult matchups for opposing teams to this point. In two games this season (Fairleigh Dickinson and Holy Cross), the Bulldogs had four players scoring in double-figures.
In addition to the offensive flow, the Elis' defense has been stifling, allowing just 60 points and forcing 17.6 turnovers per game. Sunday was no different, frustrating the Mountaineers with 15 turnovers and holding them to just 10 points in the second quarter.
Rebounding has been a strength to this point, as Yale is averaging a league-best 17.3 offensive rebounds per game and are second in the Ivy in total rebounds with 44.6 per contest. Sarju leads the squad with 6.3 rebounds, while Wyckoff is averaging 6.0 per game.
Manhattan Scout
It will be the ninth all-time meeting between Yale and Manhattan – a series that is currently tied, 4-4. Tuesday night will be the tie breaker and the first game since 1987, which was a double-overtime win for the Jaspers.
Manhattan, a MAAC team, enters Tuesday with a 2-3 record, notably coming off an 80-56 trouncing of previously undefeated Brown. Its other win this season came against Fairleigh Dickinson in the season-opener, a team that Yale has also beaten this year.
G Amani Tatum is the Jaspers' leading scorer with 13 points per game, while F Kayla Grimme has a team-high 10 rebounds per contest.
Tuesday will be a homecoming for Manhattan assistant coach Brandon Gade, who served as a Yale assistant last season under former head coach Chris Gobrecht.
Army Report
The Black Knights are off to a fast start this season, currently sitting at 4-1 heading into Thursday's game with the Bulldogs. They hold wins over Pepperdine, Quinnipiac, Central Conn. State, and Rider.
Led by 10-year head coach Dave Magarity, Army's only loss was a 12-point defeat to Duke – a game where it led the Blue Devils at halftime.
Army is led by the sensational play of G Kelsey Minato, who is averaging 22.2 points per game and is the only player on the team averaging double-digits.
The Black Knights were 23-8 (14-4 Patriot) last season and qualified for the 2015 WNIT. Army leads the all-time series with Yale, 18-11. Army won the most recent meeting, 68-56, on Dec. 7, 2013.
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Making the Adjustment: Yale struggled shooting free throws in the first half against West Virginia, making just 3-of-11 attempts. However, the Bulldogs went 17-of-20 in the second half – including a 6-for-6 effort from Wyckoff in the fourth quarter.
Tight Defense: The Bulldogs have allowed opposing teams to shoot just 36.6-percent from the field, as well as a league-best 19.7-percent from three-point range.
Good to be Home: Six games remain before the holiday break – five of which will be played at the Lee Amphitheater. In seven games this season, the Bulldogs have played two at home, two on the road, and three at neutral sites.
Filed by Steve Lewis, Yale Sports Publicity
