PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – In a building steeped in tradition,
Azar Swain made a little history for Yale on Saturday vs. Penn. Swain set the single season school record by hitting his 73rd three-pointer midway through the second half. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, the Quakers have a history maker of their own in AJ Brodeur. Brodeur had 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists to lead Penn to a 69-61 win over Yale before a big crowd at The Palestra.
Swain's record-breaking shot came with 7:16 left in the second half off an assist from
August Mahoney.
"It means a lot, but it's a little hard to take in because of [the outcome], said Swain, who finished with 13 points. "It's kind of crazy to think about because of the long history at Yale. It's been a record for a long time. I knew I would have a bigger opportunity this year. It's [the result] of a lot of hard work and a lot patience."
Swain broke the mark the mark of 72, set by Ed Petersen in 1991-92.
Paul Atkinson also had a big night for the Bulldogs, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds, his seventh double-double of the season and the 24
th time he has scored in double figures.
August Mahoney added seven points, and
Jordan Bruner and
Eric Monroe each had six.
The game featured 10 ties and eight lead changes.
The Quakers (13-8, 5-3 Ivy) scored the first eight points and had a 13-3 lead after five minutes.
By halftime, though, the Bulldogs had rallied and had a 29-27 advantage.
Yale took a 58-53 lead on an Atkinson layup with 4:48 left, but Penn answered with an 11-0 run, capped by an Eddie Scott three-pointer with 2:05 remaining. Yale got back within three on a Bruner three-pointer, but free throws from Max Martz, Devon Goodman and Scott down the stretch sealed the victory for Penn.
The Bulldogs, who came into the night leading the Ivy League in three-point field goal percentage, went just 7-of-27 from beyond the arc.
"We settled for jump shots, and we had some opportunities at the basket that we just missed," said
James Jones, The Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of the Bulldogs.
Despite the loss, Yale remains in a first-place tie with Princeton. Both the Bulldogs and Tigers sit at 6-2.
Yale is back on the road next weekend, traveling to Cornell and Columbia.
