HONOLULU, Hawaii – Paradise is suiting the Yale men's basketball team quite well. Matt Knowling led three Bulldogs in double figures with 20 points as Yale cruised to an 80-51 victory over Mississippi Valley State in its second game at the Rainbow Classic at SimpliFi Arena.
 
The Bulldogs, who beat Eastern Washington 74-60 on Friday, are 3-0 on the young season.
 
It was another big night for Knowling, who has scored at least 20 points in all three of Yale's games. Against MVSU, he was 9-of-14 from the field and added five rebounds in 25 efficient minutes. In three games, Knowling is averaging 22 points and shooting 74.4 percent from the field.
 
John Poulakidas added 11 points and Isaiah Kelly had 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting against the Delta Devils.
 
The Bulldogs were again dominant in the second half, outscoring MVSU 45-30 while shooting 57 percent.
 
Yale seized control with a 10-0 run over a five-minute stretch of the first half. By halftime, the Bulldogs had built a 35-21 advantage.
 
Yale had 19 assists on its 31 field goals. Yassine Gharram led the way with six, while Bez Mbeng and Kelly each contributed three.
 
August Mahoney made three 3-pointers to finish with nine points, and Jack Molloy scored eight points.
 
Terry Collins scored 15 points to lead Mississippi Valley State.
 
Yale faces the University of Hawaii on Monday night at midnight eastern time in its final game of the Rainbow Classic. That game can be viewed on ESPN+.