NEW HAVEN, Conn. – It was a strong start to the 2021-22 season for the Yale men's basketball team. Five Bulldogs scored in double figures as Yale rolled to an 88-42 victory over Vassar at Lee Amphitheater.
Azar Swain led the way with 16 points,
August Mahoney scored 11 and
Jalen Gabbidon, Eze Dike and
Matthue Cotton each added 10.
In all, 15 different Bulldogs scored.
"We got contributions from a lot of guys," said
James Jones, The Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of the Bulldogs.
Yale's defense forced 23 turnovers and held Vassar to 30.4 percent shooting from the field.
The Bulldogs scored the first four points of the game and never looked back. The lead was 23-9 when
Jack Molloy hit a layup midway through the first half.
By halftime, Yale had a very comfortable 47-21 advantage.
The Bulldogs, who were ranked No. 19 in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major preseason top-25 poll, won their season opener for the fifth time in the last six years and were victorious in their home opener for the 11
th straight year.
Mostly, Yale was just happy to be back on the court.
"There were a lot of emotions leading up to the game," said Swain, who was 5-of-10 from the field. "I was nervous and anxious, almost like it was an Ivy Tournament game. I'm grateful for the opportunity."
The Bulldogs are back in Lee Amphitheater on Friday when they host UMass. Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. following the Yale-Northeastern women's game, which is a 5:30 p.m. start.
