NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The formula for success didn't change with the start of Ivy League play for the Yale men's basketball team. All season long, the Bulldogs have been among the top defensive teams in the nation, and that was certainly on display in Friday's 70-56 Ivy opening win over Brown before a big crowd at the John J. Lee Amphitheater. Yale limited the Bears to 34.6 percent shooting from the field in winning its league opener for the seventh straight year.
The Bulldogs, who have won nine of their last 10 games, had a 31-28 lead at halftime and then outscored Brown 39-28 over the final 20 minutes.
"Defensively, we really got in to them and did a great job," said
James Jones, The Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of the Bulldogs. "If they don't get to the free throw line, especially in the first half, it would have given us a much better opportunity to push that lead out."
Nevertheless, Yale was never really threatened. The Bulldogs had the lead for more than 39 minutes in the game.
Jordan Bruner led the way with 23 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots, but there were plenty of contributors.
Paul Atkinson posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while
Jalen Gabbidon scored a career-high 12 points in addition to his always stellar defensive play.
Azar Swain had eight points, and
Eric Monroe added seven points and four assists.
Defensively, Yale limited Tamenang Choh and Brandon Anderson, two of Brown's top scorers, to a combined 5-of-22 shooting from the field.
"I thought we did a really good job at taking the challenge one-on-one and making it tough for them," Jones said.
Added Gabbidon, "There was nothing unexpected out there. Everything we saw, we've already been over."
Gabbidon's main assignment was containing Choh, who had 24 points and 12 rebounds against the Bulldogs last year at Lee Amphitheater. With help from Bruner, he accomplished that goal. Gabbidon's 3-of-6 shooting night from the field was an added bonus.
"My primary goal is to win and whatever it takes to win, I'll do," he said. "If that requires me scoring, it requires me scoring, if it requires me to spend all my energy on defense, that's what I'll do. A lot of guys sacrifice on this team so I'm no different."
Yale (12-4, 1-0 Ivy) also benefitted from a strong night from
Wyatt Yess off the bench. Yess had five points and five rebounds in 14 minutes and also hit a big three-pointer in the second half to help thwart a Brown run.
"In practice he makes that shot," Jones said. "I'm happy for him. We have a lot of guys that come to practice every day and work really hard, and he's one of them. Sometimes you don't reap the benefits from that. The fact that he was able to come in and contribute is what you live for as a coach."
Next up for the Bulldogs is a trip to Washington, D.C., to face Howard on Monday at noon in the final non-conference game of the season. Yale then plays Brown again next Friday in Providence.
