Yale vs. Western Michigan
Monday, Nov. 25, Noon
ESPN Wide World of Sports
Orlando, Fla.
WatchESPN Video | Live Stats
Game Notes
 
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Yale men's basketball team continues a three-games-in-four-days stretch with a trip to Central Florida for the final two games of the NIT Season Tip-off. The Bulldogs meet Western Michigan on Monday at noon and then play either Bucknell or Seattle on Tuesday at noon or 2:30 p.m. Both games will air on ESPNU and WatchESPN.
 
Yale's season of high drama continued in Saturday's 58-56 loss at unbeaten Penn State, who came into the game No. 26 in the KenPom rankings. The Bulldogs led for 37 minutes, 30 seconds but saw the Nittany Lions close the game on a 12-0 run to escape with the win. Last Wednesday, Yale won a triple overtime thriller over Siena 100-89. That was the Bulldogs' third overtime game of the young season. They beat Stony Brook 74-69 in the season opener on Nov. 5 and dropped an 84-79 decision at San Francisco. Throw in a loss at Oklahoma State in a game that was tied with six minutes left, and Yale has had its fans on the edge of their seats throughout.
 
Junior Azar Swain had another big game on Saturday vs. Penn State, scoring 24 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field, including 6-of-13 from three-point range. In the win over Siena, Swain scored a career-high 25 points, including a deep three-pointer in the final seconds of regulation that tied the score. Swain is averaging 16.0 points which is second on the team and eighth in the Ivy League.
 
Paul Atkinson leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 17.8 ppg., which is third in the league. Atkinson once again is atop the league in field goal percentage at .630. He led the league in each of his first two seasons and is a career 67.8 percent shooter.
 
Jordan Bruner continues his stellar all-around play. He leads the league in blocks (20), is second in assists (4.8 per game) and is third in rebounding (9.4 rpg.).
 
Yale has excelled at the defensive end of the floor, limiting its opponents to just 34.9 percent shooting from the field and 25.5 percent from three-point range. The Bulldogs held Penn State to just 58 points on Saturday after the Nittany Lions had scored more than 80 in each of their first four games.
 
Following the trip to Florida, Yale returns home to host Vermont on Sunday. It will be the Bulldogs' final home game of the 2019 calendar year.
 
HISTORY LESSONS
 
Yale and Western Michigan are playing for the first time. The Bulldogs also have never faced Seattle. Yale and Bucknell have faced off six times with the most recent coming in 2006. The Bison lead the series 4-2.
 
SCOUTING WESTERN MICHIGAN
 
The Broncos (4-2) are coming off a 70-63 loss at Oklahoma State on Friday. Both WMU losses came to power conference opponents. The Broncos fell to Mississippi on Nov. 15. Michael Flowers (20.3 ppg.) leads the team in scoring.
 
SCOUTING BUCKNELL
 
The Bison (2-4) are coming off losses to Syracuse and Penn State. Bruce Moore (12.2 ppg.) leads a balanced Bucknell attack that features three players averaging double figures in scoring.
 
SCOUTING SEATTLE
 
The Redhawks (2-4) are coming off losses to Syracuse and Mississippi in the NIT Season Tip-off. Terrell Brown (21.7 ppg.) leads the team in scoring.