Yale Defense Causes 33 Turnovers

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – From the opening whistle, the Yale women's basketball team ran all over Manhattan with tenacious defense and offensive efficiency, on its way to a dominant 62-36 win on Tuesday night in the Lee Amphitheater.

In a sloppily played game to say the least, the Bulldogs (5-3) made the most of 33 Jaspers' turnovers, scoring 26 points off those miscues, as part of the 26-point victory. Yale also shot 42.6-percent from the field, as opposed to holding Manhattan to just 20.8-percent.

The Elis turned the ball over 29 times as well, yet the Jaspers scored just 13 points off Yale's mistakes. Sophomore guard Tamara Simpson (North Babylon, N.Y.) had a game-high six steals, as part of Yale's total of 19 takeaways.

"No, but let's focus on the positive. Let's try to move forward from this," joked Joel E. Smilow '54 head coach Allison Guth when asked if she ever was part of a 62-turnover game in her coaching career. "We talk about valuing the possession – that will be the most important focus for us moving into Thursday's game with Army."

In a game defined by careless mistakes, the Yale defense stood tall once again – holding Manhattan to 10 points in the first quarter and just two points in the third quarter. The Jaspers were 1-of-13 from the field in the third period.

"We made it difficult for them to pass to the post, which is what they wanted to do. It hindered their offense," said Simpson. "We contested a lot of their shots too, so it was hard for them to get off clean looks at the basket."

The Jaspers were held to 24-percent shooting (6-of-25) in the first half and 17.4-percent shooting (4-of-23) in the second half, with intense defensive pressure by the Bulldogs to credit for the offensive struggles.

Yale's fast-break proved to be a difference maker as it has all season, as the Elis outscored Manhattan, 12-0, in transition points. The Bulldogs also held a 24-12 scoring advantage in the paint and a 20-5 edge in bench points.

Senior forward Nyasha Sarju (Seattle, Wash.) tied for a game-high 12 points with Manhattan's Amani Tatum. Simpson and junior guard Meghan McIntyre (Santa Rosa Valley, Calif.) each had 10 points in the winning effort. McIntyre also had a career-high and game-high of six assists.

The Bulldogs jumped ahead from the start, beginning the game with a 16-2 run over the first six-and-a-half minutes. Three-pointers by Sarju and McIntyre helped to extend the lead.

A 25-10 advantage after the first quarter really set the tone for the Elis. "We made a lot of good defensive plays right out of the gate. We let our defense transition to offense and that's how we scored a lot of easy baskets," said Simpson.

Taking a 37-23 lead into halftime, the Yale defense provided a lockdown performance in the third quarter – allowing Manhattan just one field goal the entire period. The Jaspers had eight turnovers in the period.

"I think our kids did a good job of attacking and setting the tone early…we pushed the ball really well in transition and I was really proud of our defensive effort out of the gates," said Guth.

With a 24-point lead heading into the fourth, the Bulldogs continued to pressure the Jaspers and ended the game as solidly as they started it. Sarju led the Elis with seven rebounds, while junior forward Elizabeth Haley (Dayton, Ohio) grabbed five boards coming off the bench.

Freshman guard Paige Vermeer (Mountain View, Calif.) made her collegiate debut, scoring her first-career point at the free throw line in the fourth quarter.

It is the second game this season that Yale has held an opponent to less than 40 points and less than 22-percent shooting (67-34 win over Albertus Magnus on Nov. 15).

The Bulldogs have a quick turnaround, hosting the Army Black Knights on Thursday night at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3, as well as the Ivy League Digital Network. Army is 4-1 and leads the all-time series with Yale, 18-11.

Filed by Steve Lewis, Yale Sports Publicity