Game Changed To Friday At 5:30PM (Originally Saturday At 2PM)
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Even a potential snow storm on the forecast cannot stop the Yale women's basketball team from continuing Ivy League play this weekend, as the Bulldogs travel to play Brown on Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the Pizzitola Sports Center in Providence, R.I.
A rematch originally scheduled for Saturday, the game was moved up to Friday due to the weather forecast predicting snow over the weekend. It will still be a women's and men's doubleheader, with the women's game at 5:30 p.m. and the men's game at 8:00 p.m.
Both games can be seen on the Ivy League Digital Network and ESPN3, as the women's team (10-8, 1-0 Ivy) looks for its seventh-straight win over Brown.
In the Ivy League opener last Saturday, the Bulldogs steamrolled the Bears in the Lee Amphitheater – using balanced scoring, rebounding, and transition play to dominate in an 81-54 win. The biggest lead in the game for the Elis was 28, while Brown never held one.
Yale held a monstrous 52-24 rebounding advantage over Brown, the biggest rebounding margin of the season for the Bulldogs. The effort included 19 offensive boards, which translated into a 21-2 advantage in second-chance scoring.
Senior forward Nyasha Sarju (Seattle, Wash.), the team's leading scorer with 16.5 points per game, netted a team-high 14 against Brown. Three other Bulldogs scored in double-figures, as 11 of 13 players contributed to the scoring.
Sophomores Mary Ann Santucci (Seattle, Wash.) and Jen Berkowitz (Wayland, Mass.) had 10 and nine points, respectively, helping Yale to a 30-5 edge in bench scoring.
Defense also played a major role in the win over Brown, as the Bulldogs held the visitor to 30-percent shooting in the second half. In the Ivy League ranks, Yale is second in turnovers caused (18.4 per game), steals (9.2), and opposing three-point percentage (26.9-percent).
In the upcoming rematch between the two squads, the Bulldogs will try to start the Ivy League season at 2-0 at Brown's expense for the third consecutive season. Yale has beaten the Bears by an average of 18 points in the last three meetings.
In the past two seasons, the Elis have gone 6-8 combined in Ivy League road games, following a strong 5-2 record in the 2012-13 season. Recent history is on its side on Friday, as Yale hasn't lost in the Pizzitola Sports Center since the 2009-10 season.
Scouting Brown – Version 2
Brown (12-3, 0-1 Ivy) suffered just its third loss of the season this past Saturday, but struggled to show signs of competitiveness. The Bears were outscored in each quarter against Yale, leading to the 27-point defeat.
Despite the record, the Bears have not played one Power Five conference team or any team that qualified for the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The start of the 14 Game Tournament proved to be a tough challenge, especially playing the Bulldogs.
The Bears shot just 35.1-percent as a team in the loss, while guard Shayna Mehta scored a game-high 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting. Mehta is scoring 13.4 points per game, second only to teammate Jordin Alexander, who is averaging 13.7 per contest.
Freshman forward Erika Steeves has been a solid contributor for Brown, recording 9.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game – on her way to being named a three-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week so far this season.
Brown holds a 45-36 edge in the all-time series with Yale, but has dropped each of the past six games against the Bulldogs – dating back to the 2012-13 season.
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Ivy Leaders: Several Bulldogs rank among the league leaders in certain categories, including Sarju in scoring (16.5 per game is second-best), sophomore guard Tamara Simpson in steals (league-leader with 3.0 per game) and senior guard Whitney Wyckoff in assists (2.9 per game is sixth-best).
Scoring as a Team: When four players score in double-figures, the Bulldogs are unbeaten at 4-0 this season. Seven different players have recorded double-digit scoring performances in multiple games this year.
Winning Big, Losing Small: Yale is 6-1 this season in games decided by 16 points or more, as opposed to 3-7 in the 2014-15 season. Adversely, the Bulldogs are 1-4 this season in games decided by anywhere from four to seven points.
Filed by Steve Lewis, Yale Sports Publicity
