PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Riley Fox tallied a team-high 18 points and the Yale men's basketball team shot 65% (13-of-20) in the second half to take down Brown, 70-53, in its Ivy League opener on Monday night at Pizzitola Sports Center.
With the victory, Yale improved to 12-2 (1-0 Ivy), and Brown dropped to 6-8 (0-1 Ivy).
Turning Point
Brown opened the second half with a three-point edge at 32–29, but Yale quickly took control. The Bulldogs answered with five unanswered points, punctuated by a
Casey Simmons three-pointer that put Yale ahead 34–32 at the 17:43 mark. Maintaining the momentum, Yale went on a 7–0 run capped by a
Nick Townsend layup to extend the lead to 41–33. Brown pulled within seven at 49–42 with 10:05 remaining, but the Bulldogs responded once again, using a 9–0 surge—seven points coming from Fox—to stretch the advantage to 58–42. Yale pushed its lead to its largest of the night at 62–45 following
Samson Aletan's free throws with 5:39 left and didn't look back the rest of the way.
Notable Performances
- Fox tallied 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, went 2-of-3 from three, and grabbed three rebounds. 11 of his points came in the second half.
- Aletan notched 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, along with nine rebounds, two assists, and a team-high four blocks. Nine of his points came in the second half.
- Townsend recorded a double-double with 10 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. He also posted a team-high five assists, two steals, and a block.
- Trevor Mullin chipped in nine points on 4-of-8 shooting, to go with four assists.
- Isaac Celiscar added eight points, four rebounds, and three assists.
- Yale shot 65% overall (13-of-20) and 57.1% (4-of-7) from three in the second half.
Hear from Coach Jones
"I thought we were gritty. I thought that we played tough. We did a good job on the glass, rebounding the ball. We did a good job defensively, although I thought we gave up too many open shots. We've got to shore that up as the league season goes on, but again it's a really good team win. A lot of guys contributed, and that's what makes for a special team and a fun way to win."
Bulldog Notes
- Townsend has recorded double-digit points in five consecutive games and collected seven or more rebounds in six straight games.
- Fox has reached double-digit scoring in 10 games this season.
- Townsend recorded his third double-double of the season and the 11th of his career.
- Simmons pulled down a season-high nine rebounds.
- Yale tallied 32 points in the paint compared to Brown's 24.
- The Bulldogs have now won three straight meetings against the Bears.
- Yale has claimed victory in its last three Ivy League season openers.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will head to Princeton on Saturday, Jan. 10. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.
