ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands –
Nick Townsend had a career day as the Yale men's basketball team continued its winning ways at the Paradise Jam Tournament, taking down the College of Charleston, 74–63, in Sunday evening's semifinal to advance to Monday's championship game.
Townsend was unconscious, pouring in a career-high 32 points on 12-of-19 shooting, including 4-of-7 from three. He also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and added four assists, with 20 of his points coming in the second half.
Turning Point
After the Cougars cut Yale's lead to 58–49 with a 9–0 run at the 9:14 mark, the Bulldogs answered with back-to-back layups from
Isaac Celiscar and Townsend. Charleston kept pushing, scoring four straight points to pull within eight (63–55) with 5:10 remaining, but Celiscar and Townsend again responded with consecutive baskets. Townsend later sealed the game for good with a layup that stretched the margin to 69–57 — his 12th and final field goal of the night.
Notable Performances
- Townsend led the Bulldogs with 32 points on 12-of-19 shooting, grabbed nine rebounds, and contributed four assists.
- Celiscar added 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, along with three assists and three steals.
- First-year Jack Sullivan delivered a strong showing with eight points, including two three-pointers, and also had two rebounds and two assists.
- Casey Simmons contributed eight points and pulled down eight rebounds.
- Trevor Mullin recorded seven points and four rebounds.
- Yale shot 50% (3-of-6) from deep in the second half.
- The Bulldogs limited Charleston to 38.2% shooting (21-of-55) on the game.
Bulldog Notes
- Townsend has reached double figures in scoring in each of the team's first six games.
- Townsend set a career high with 12 field goals made.
- Yale tallied 32 points in the paint.
- Celiscar matched his career high with three steals.
- Sullivan set a career high with eight points, including two made three-pointers.
- Townsend became the most recent Bulldog to score 30 points in a game, following John Poulakidas, who had 32 against Cornell on February 8, 2025.
Hear from Coach Jones
- On the team's performance: "I thought our team stuck together and really worked to get a victory as a team. It was great to see guys coming in and contributing off the bench. Jack [Sullivan] was tremendous with the effort he gave us. Jordan [Brathwaite], Riley [Fox], and Devin [Arlington]. We got great contributions from everybody, and it was a really good team win."
- On Nick Townsend's performance: "They [Charleston] let him go one-on-one. So, if their guy's going to get one-on-one, he's going to have great opportunities, and he took advantage of it."
Up Next
The Bulldogs will face Akron in the tournament championship game on Monday, Nov. 24 at 8 p.m. ET.
