PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Four Bulldogs tallied double figures as the Yale men's basketball team knocked off the Princeton Tigers, 59-57, in the Ivy Madness semifinal on Saturday.
Yale, the No. 1 seed, advances to the tournament championship game on Sunday, and will face No. 2 Cornell.
Turning Point
After an alleyoop from
Samson Aletan gave Yale a 53-47 lead with 6:03 left in the second half, Princeton answered with seven straight points to pull ahead 54-53.
Bez Mbeng's and-one play reclaimed the lead for the Bulldogs at 55-54, but the Tigers responded with a three-pointer with 1:32 remaining.
John Poulakidas then secured the win with a contested three-pointer 32 seconds later, putting the game out of reach for good.
Notable Performances
- Poulakidas paced the Bulldogs with a team-high 13 points, nine of which came in the second half.
- Nick Townsend delivered a strong performance, recording a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. He also went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line and added four assists.
- Mbeng tallied 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting with seven rebounds and a team-high three steals.
- Casey Simmons added 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting with five rebounds.
- Aletan recorded a team-high two blocks, including a pivotal one with 38 seconds left.
- The Bulldogs tallied 34 points in the paint.
Bulldog Notes
- Townsend's double-double was his seventh of the season, which leads the conference.
- Poulakidas has notched double figures in 24 games this season, including his past 14.
- Mbeng has tallied double figures in 15 consecutive games.
- Yale is in the Ivy Tournament championship game for the fifth straight season.
- The Bulldogs have now reached the championship game in six of the seven tournaments overall.
Hear from Coach Jones
"Obviously, excited about the win. I thought our kids were gutsy and played hard. We had controlled the game until the end, and when Princeton took over, what was great about my guys there was no hesitation, no nervousness, they stayed with the game plan and were able to make some great plays and pull it out. The three-point play by Bez driving to the basket, and John's three really, I can't speak enough about how tough you have to be to make those plays in those situations and not panic. Nick (Townsend) was also tremendous and steady for the entire game and gave us an opportunity to win."
Looking Ahead
The championship game will be on Sunday, Mar. 16 at noon on ESPN2. The Bulldogs look to punch their ticket to March Madness for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
