HANOVER, N.H. – The Yale women's basketball team got double-digit points from all three of its seniors Monday night en route to a thrilling 70-67 win over Dartmouth at Leede Arena.
Yale (2-15, 1-3 Ivy League) trailed 7-2 early but went on a 9-2 run, tying the game on a jumper by junior guard
Kiley Capstraw at 5:11. A three-pointer by senior guard
Avery Lee then sparked a 7-0 run to end the first quarter, and the Bulldogs went into the break up 18-12.
The Bulldogs got their lead to as many as 11 points in the second quarter, with senior guard/forward
Mackenzie Egger already in double digits in points – 11 for the half, on her way to 17 for the game. A late run by Dartmouth pulled the Big Green within 35-32 heading into halftime.
Dartmouth (8-9, 2-2 Ivy League) closed within two with 7:21 left in the third, but the Bulldogs eventually built their lead into double digits (51-41) when senior forward
Grace Thybulle banked in a three-pointer as the shot clock expired at 2:14. Yale led 55-45 heading into the fourth.
A conventional three-point play by Thybulle with 5:25 to play got Yale's lead to 11. Dartmouth went on a run to get within four at 61-57 with 4:32 to play. A steal at midcourt by Capstraw denied the Big Green's chance to get within two and led to an and-one for Thybulle at 3:39. Capstraw later hit six key free throws in the final two minutes, and a defensive stand by Yale forced a missed three-pointer as time expired.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
KEY STAT
- Yale limited Dartmouth to a 3-for-19 performance on three-pointers.
NOTES
- Thybulle's 22 points were a career high.
- Lee's 11 points were one shy of her career high.
- First-year guard Marisa Chapman added eight points and eight rebounds off the bench.
- 70 points was a season high for Yale.
QUOTING DALILA ESHE, YALE'S JOEL E. SMILOW, CLASS OF 1954 HEAD COACH
- On the team's leadership, especially from the seniors: "All of our upperclassmen, they know how much these Ivy League games mean. Grace had an incredible game. Avery helped us with a great start. Mack [Egger] was her usual consistent self. [Sophomore guard] Lucy [Lynn] was really solid for us."
- On Capstraw hitting six of six free throws in the final two minutes: "I know, down the stretch, who to give the ball to. That was awesome. The way Dartmouth shoots the three ball, we needed every one of those free throws."
- On earning the win: "I go back to game number one [of the season, a 64-61 win vs. Monmouth]. It was simply a matter of not allowing ourselves to lose."
AROUND THE IVY LEAGUE
- Brown 49, Cornell 39
- Harvard 73, Penn 44
- Columbia 58, Princeton 50
WHAT'S NEXT
- Yale plays at Harvard Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
