PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Four Bulldogs scored in double figures as the Yale men's basketball team notched its third consecutive win, defeating Penn, 77-60, on Saturday afternoon at the Palestra.
With the victory, Yale took sole possession of first place in the Ivy League, improving to 15–3 overall (4–1 Ivy), while Penn fell to 9–9 (2–3 Ivy).
Turning Point
After the Quakers knocked down a three-pointer to cut the deficit to one, 29–28, with 3:46 remaining in the first half, the Bulldogs responded with a seven-point run. The surge was highlighted by a
Jordan Brathwaite dunk and a
Riley Fox three-pointer, giving Yale a 36–28 advantage. The Bulldogs maintained control the rest of the half, closing on a 4–0 run to take a 40–30 lead into the break. Yale stayed in front throughout the second half, as
Casey Simmons scored on back-to-back layups to extend the lead to 59–48 with 6:57 remaining. The Bulldogs put the game away at the free-throw line down the stretch, capped by a Brathwaite three-pointer with nine seconds left to secure Yale's largest lead of the contest.
Notable Performances
- Nick Townsend scored 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three-point range, and added 5-of-6 from the free throw line, along with nine rebounds and three assists.
- Trevor Mullin also recorded 17 points, going a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line, while contributing two rebounds and an assist.
- Simmons contributed 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting, adding four rebounds, a steal, and a block, with 10 of his points coming in the first half.
- Isaac Celiscar posted a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while leading the team with six assists.
- Brathwaite added eight points on 3-of-6 shooting, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, and contributed three rebounds and a steal.
- Yale had 15 assists on 28 made field goals.
- The Bulldogs outrebounded Penn, 42-28.
- Yale limited the Quakers to 38.2% shooting overall (21-of-55) and 28% from three-point range (7-of-25).
Hear from Coach Jones
"I thought that we kept chopping wood from start to finish, you know, a little here, a little there, and it adds up at the end. I thought our guys did a really good job defensively, and that was the difference in the game. Our team is coming around and becoming a defensive team I think we can be, and that's made all the difference for us."
Bulldog Notes
- Townsend has reached double-digit scoring in nine consecutive games.
- Celiscar's 12 rebounds set a career high, and his double-double marked his second of the season.
- Celiscar has posted six or more assists in three straight games.
- Simmons has scored in double figures for three consecutive games.
- Celiscar has notched double-figures in 14 games this season.
- Yale's tallied 42 points in the paint.
- With 17 points from Townsend, he sits just four points shy of the 1,000-career milestone.
- The Bulldogs have claimed victory in five of their last eight matchups against the Quakers.
Up Next
The Bulldogs return home to face Dartmouth on Friday, Jan. 30, followed by a matchup against Harvard on Saturday, Jan. 31. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
