No. 4 Princeton vs. No. 1 Yale
Saturday, Mar. 15 – 11 a.m.
Pizzitola Sports Center – Providence, R.I.
ESPNU | Live Stats | Tickets | Game Notes
 
Top-seeded Yale men's basketball is set to kick off postseason action, facing fourth-seeded Princeton in the Ivy Madness semifinal game on Saturday, Mar. 15. The Bulldogs closed out the regular season with a 20-7 record, 13-1 in Ivy play.
 
Last Time Out

• Led by a stellar 27-point performance by John Poulakidas, the Bulldogs wrapped up the regular season with a 70-61 win over Brown.
• After Brown took a 49-47 advantage with 12:01 left in the second half, Poulakidas responded with five consecutive points to reclaim the lead for Yale (52-49).
• Brown narrowed the gap to 54-53 at the 8:59 mark, but Poulakidas once again answered with another five-point surge. 
• The senior scored 19 of his points in the second half and sealed the game with his fifth three-pointer of the day (66-59) after Brown made a late push with just under three minutes remaining.
• Poulakidas was sensational, shooting 11-of-17 from the field, and 5-of-10 from deep.
• Bez Mbeng tallied 13 points, four rebounds, a team-high four steals, and three assists.
• Nick Townsend added 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting with a team-high six assists and three rebounds.
• The Bulldogs tallied 19 points of Brown turnovers.

 
Bulldog Notes

• Five Bulldogs are averaging at least 8.0 points per game, with Poulakidas leading the way with 19.3 points, which ranks first in the Ivy League.
• Poulakidas also ranks 14^th in the NCAA in free throw percentage (89.6), and 23^rd in three-pointers per game (3.13).
• Mbeng is first in the nation in triple doubles with three and is just one of just six active players with multiple career triple-doubles.
• Mbeng is also 22^nd nationally and first in the conference in assists per game (5.9), and leads the league with 48 steals, averaging 1.8 per game.
• Poulakidas has notched double figures in 23 games this season, including 12 games with 20+ points.
• Poulakidas' 231 career three-pointers are second most in program history, and his 75 made threes this season rank third in Yale's single-season records.
• Townsend's six double-doubles ranks first in the league, and he also ranks second in the conference in field goal percentage (53.3), and third in rebounds per game (7.1).
• As a team, the Bulldogs rank 11^th in the NCAA in assist/turnover ratio (1.63), 26^th in assists per game (16.7), 11^th in field goal percentage (49.1),13^th in rebound margin (7.6), 23^rd in rebounds per game (39.26), 16^th in scoring margin (12.5), and 13^th in three-point percentage (38.5).

 
Season Notes

• Townsend was tabbed a finalist for the Nolan Richardson award on Mar. 13.
• Mbeng, Poulakidas, and Townsend were named finalists for the Lou Henson award on Mar. 13.
• Mbeng was tabbed Ivy Player and Defensive Player of the Year and garnered First Team All-Ivy honors alongside Poulakidas and Townsend. Townsend was also tabbed Academic All-Ivy on Mar. 12.
• Mbeng was named a finalist for the Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year award on Mar. 12.
• Head Coach James Jones was tabbed a finalist for Ben Jobe and Jim Phelan Awards on Mar. 5. 
• Jones was named a Hugh Durham Award finalist on Mar. 4.
• Mbeng notched the fourth triple double in program history, and his third of the season, on Mar. 1.
• Mbeng earned USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week accolades on Feb. 25.
• The Bulldogs received votes in the AP Top 25 Men's Basketball Poll on Feb. 24.
• Mbeng was tabbed Ivy Player of the Week on Feb. 24.
• Mbeng recorded the third triple double in program history, and his second of the season, on Feb. 22.
• Yale clinched the outright Ivy League Regular Season title on Feb. 22.
• The Bulldogs clinched a share of the Ivy League Regular Season Title on Feb. 21.
• Isaac Celiscar garnered Ivy Rookie of the Week accolades on Feb. 17.
• Poulakidas earned Ivy Player of the Week honors on Feb. 10.
• Mbeng tallied the program's second triple double against Cornell on Feb. 8.
• Poulakidas was tabbed Ivy Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 3.
• Mbeng scored his 1,000th career point against Harvard on Jan. 25.
• Mbeng became the all-time program leader in career steals on Jan. 20.
• Riley Fox earned Ivy Rookie of the Week honors on Jan. 6.
• 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.

 
This Season vs. Princeton

• The Bulldogs swept the season series, taking down the Tigers 77-70 (Jan. 31) at Jadwin Gymnasium, and then 84-57 at John J. Lee Amphitheater (Feb. 15).
• In the first win, Poulakidas led the way with a team-high 23 points, and Yale shot an impressive 62.1% (18-of-29) overall and 77.8% (7-of-9) from three-point range in the first half. The Bulldogs shot 57.4% overall (31-of-54) and 56.3% (9-of-16) from deep.
• In the second win, Townsend had a stellar night with a team-high 20 points, shooting 7-of-9 from the field, 2-of-3 from deep, and adding seven rebounds and four assists. Princeton also shot just 26.8% overall (15-of-56) and 22.9% (8-of-35) from deep.

 
Scouting the Tigers

• Princeton closed the regular season with an overall record of 19-10, and 8-6 in Ivy action.
• The Tigers are coming off a 95-71 victory over Penn on Saturday.
• In the win, Xaivian Lee recorded the second triple double in program history, which was also the second of his career with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 from three along with a game-high 12 assists and game-high 10 rebounds.
• Princeton is averaging 74.2 points per game.
• Lee was named a unanimous First Team All-Ivy selection, Caden Pierce was named to the Second Team, and Blake Peters earned Academic All-Ivy honors.
• Pierce is second in the conference in rebounding (7.3 points per game), and Lee is fourth in scoring (17.0 points per game).

 
Looking Ahead
The championship game will take place on Sunday, Mar. 16 at noon on ESPN2.