Yale at Princeton
Friday, Jan. 31 – 5 p.m.
Jadwin Gymnasium
Princeton, N.J.
ESPN2 | Live Stats | Tickets | Game Notes
 
Yale at Penn
Saturday, Feb. 1 – 6 p.m.
The Palestra
Philadelphia, Pa.
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets | Game Notes
 
Yale men's basketball is set to hit the road for two Ivy matchups, facing Princeton on Friday, Jan. 31, and then Penn on Saturday, Feb. 1. The Bulldogs are riding a five-game winning streak and enter with an 11-6 record (4-0 Ivy).
 
Last Time Out

• Bez Mbeng picked up his 1,000^th career point as Yale continued to roll with an 84-55 victory over Harvard on Saturday.
• The Bulldogs opened the game on a 9-2 run, led by Nick Townsend who had five of Yale's nine points in the opening three minutes, and never looked back.
• Townsend paced Yale with 22 points (tying a career-high) and 12 rebounds, picking up his fourth double-double of the season.
• John Poulakidas tallied 15 points and six rebounds.
• Mbeng had 12 points, 10 of which came in the second half, and a team-high two steals.
• Samson Aletan added 11 points and six rebounds.
• Yale shot 50% (6-of-12) from deep in the first half.
• The Bulldogs outrebounded Harvard, 48-27.
• Yale had 17 assists on 27 made baskets.

Bulldog Notes

• Five Bulldogs are averaging at least 8.0 points per game, with Poulakidas leading the way with 19.4 points, which ranks 28^th in the nation.
• Poulakidas is ranked eighth in the nation in three-pointers per game (3.43), and 18th in three-point percentage (43.6).
• As a team, the Bulldogs rank 16^th in NCAA in assist/turnover ratio (1.62), 13^th in assists per game (17.8), eighth in rebound margin (10.0), 18^th in rebounds per game (40.59), 25^th in scoring margin (12.9), and 15^th in three-point percentage (38.4).
• Townsend is second on the squad in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game, and first in rebounds per game (7.1).
• Mbeng is first on the team in steals (29) and assists (92).

 
Season Notes

• Mbeng scored his 1,000^th career point against Harvard on Jan. 25.

• Mbeng became the all-time program leader in career steals on Jan. 20.
• Head Coach James Jones picked up his 400th career win in the Yale's 91-66 showing over Fairfield on Nov. 23. Jones is in his 26th season with Yale.
• Poulakidas scored his 1,000th career point against Delaware on Nov. 24.
• Mbeng played his 100th career game for Yale against Vermont on Dec. 7.
• Poulakidas and Mbeng were named to the 2024-25 Lou Henson Early Season Watch List. The award is presented annually to the top player in mid-major college basketball.
• Poulakidas and Mbeng are two of six Ivy League players on the list. They join Princeton's Xavian Lee and Caden Pierce, Brown's Kino Lilly, Jr., and Columbia's Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa.

A Look at History Against Princeton

• The Tigers lead the all-time series 153-98.
• The first game between the teams was played in 1897.
• The teams last met on Feb. 17, 2024, with Princeton winning by a score of 73-62.
• In the defeat, Mbeng paced the Bulldogs with 18 points and seven rebounds.
• Poulakidas added 16 points.
• Despite the loss, Yale has won eight of the last 12 meetings with Princeton.

Scouting the Tigers

• Princeton was selected as the League preseason favorite with 127 points and 15 first-place votes.
• The Tigers enter the matchup behind Yale in the conference standings at 14-5, 3-1 (Ivy).
• Princeton is averaging 77.1 points per game.
• The Tigers are coming off an 85-76 loss to Cornell on Saturday.
• Xaivian Lee paces the squad, averaging 17.2 points per game, which ranks fourth in the conference.
• Caden Pierce leads Princeton on the boards, averaging 7.4 rebounds per game.
• Princeton is ranked 11^th in the NCAA in three-pointers per game (10.5)

 
A Look at History Against Penn

• The Quakers lead the all-time series 153-87.
• The first game between the two teams was 1897.
• The last time the teams met was February 16, 2024, and Yale won by a score of 76-62.
• In the victory, John Poulakidas tallied a team-high 17 points and Mbeng added 16.
• Yale shot 53% from the field and limited the Quakers to 39%.
• The win was also Yale's first at The Palestra over Penn since 2017.

 
Scouting the Quakers

• The Quakers enter the weekend with a 6-11 overall record, and 2-2 in Ivy action.
• Penn is coming off a 93-78 victory over Columbia on Saturday.
• The Quakers are averaging 67.4 points per game.
• Ethan Roberts paces the Penn offense, averaging 17.1 points per game, which ranks fifth in the Ivy League.

 
Up Next
The Bulldogs will remain on the road to face Cornell on Saturday, Feb. 8.