ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Four Bulldogs scored in double figures as the Yale men's basketball team cruised past Navy, 97–68, in its season opener Friday night at the 12th Annual Veterans Classic.

The Bulldogs improved to 1-0, while the Midshipmen dropped to 1-1.
 
Turning Point
After Navy surged ahead with a 10-0 run to take an 18-9 lead at the 12:03 mark of the first half, the Bulldogs' offense took off. Yale's next 15 points all came from beyond the arc, fueled by Nick Townsend, who accounted for 12 of them. The Bulldogs continued to push the pace, closing the half on a dominant 20-5 run to take a 46-31 lead into the break. Yale then opened the second half with a 14-0 burst and never looked back.
 
Notable Performances

• Riley Fox delivered an outstanding performance, leading the team with 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting. He went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, added four rebounds, and recorded two steals — with 16 of his points coming in the second half.
• Townsend scored 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-6 from deep, while adding nine rebounds and five assists. 16 of his points came in the first 11 minutes of play.
• Trevor Mullin tallied 14 points, a team-high six assists, and two steals.
• Isaac Celiscar had 13 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
• Samson Aletan chipped in with seven points and a team-high five blocks.
• Yale had 22 assists on 33 made baskets.
• The Bulldogs tallied 30 points off turnovers.
• Yale shot 52.9% (18-of-34) in the second half, and 50% overall (33-of-66) in the contest.

 
Bulldog Notes

• Fox scored a career-high 24 points.
• Townsend's four made three-pointers tied a career-high.
• Aletan's five blocks matched his career-high.
• Mullin set a new career-high with 14 points.
• Daniel Ogunyemi (five points, four rebounds), Jack Sullivan (three points), Courtney Wallace (two points), and Alvin Loving all made their collegiate debuts.

 
Hear from Coach Jones

• On the team's performance: "I was really impressed with the toughness of our team today. We did a good job defensively after the first 10 minutes and limited them on the offensive end after they got up by nine. Offensively, they gave us opportunities to get open looks from the outside, and fortunately, we were able to knock them down tonight."
• On the Veterans Classic experience: "It is great to be in a situation where we are honoring our veterans. We wouldn't be able to play this game without the sacrifices of the veterans we have. Being here around Veterans Day and participating in the Veterans Classic was truly special. Beyond that, just being on campus, spending time with the cadets, and learning what they do on a daily basis was really eye-opening for our young men."

 
Up Next
The Bulldogs will remain on the road to face Quinnipiac on Tuesday, Nov. 11. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.