NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Riley Fox tallied a team-high 23 points, and the Yale men's basketball team scored 50 points in the second half to take down Brown, 81-69, on Friday evening at John J. Lee Amphitheater.
With the victory, Yale improved to 17-4 (6-2 Ivy), and Brown dropped to 7-14 (1-7 Ivy).
Turning Point
After Brown built its largest lead of the night at 10 points, 44–34, with 16:58 remaining in the second half, Fox answered with back-to-back three-pointers to cut the deficit to 44–40. The teams traded baskets over the next stretch, and Yale continued to claw back as another Fox three trimmed the Bears' lead to three, 51–48, at the 12:35 mark. Brown later extended its advantage to 66–62 with 6:19 left, but the Bulldogs responded with a decisive 15-0 run. Free throws from
Casey Simmons and Fox capped the surge, giving Yale an 11-point lead at 77–66. The Bulldogs' defense then locked in, holding Brown scoreless until under a minute remained in the game.
Notable Performances
- Fox led all scorers with 23 points on an efficient 9-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, to go along with two rebounds and two assists. He caught fire in the second half, pouring in 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting.
- Nick Townsend finished with 21 points on 5-of-10 shooting, went 2-of-5 from three, and knocked down 9-of-14 free throws. He added a game-high 13 rebounds for a double-double, plus six assists and two steals.
- Trevor Mullin and Isaac Celiscar each scored 10 points.
- Simmons contributed eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, along with three rebounds and three assists.
- Yale was dominant offensively in the second half, shooting 66.7% (14-of-21) from the field and 63.6% (7-of-11) from three-point range.
- The Bulldogs shot 56.5% overall (26-of-46) for the game.
Hear from Coach Jones
"Really tough gritty win by the team tonight. By all intents and purposes, Brown had us down and out a few times in the game. They made some big shots, and we matched them, and you know Riley [Fox] was tremendous for us, especially on the offensive end, making key baskets to keep the momentum going, and the home crowd was good for us. We didn't shoot the ball well from the free throw line, but we made up for it at the arc, where we shot nearly 50%. Made 12 made threes, which was all the difference in the game for us."
Bulldog Notes
- Townsend has scored in double digits in 12 consecutive games.
- Townsend recorded his fifth double-double of the season, marking the 13th of his career.
- Celiscar has reached double figures in 16 games this season.
- Fox has scored in double digits in 13 games, including five outings with 20 or more points.
- Townsend has grabbed at least five rebounds in 20 of 21 games this season.
- Yale's 12 made three-pointers tied a season-high against a Division I opponent.
- The Bulldogs have now won four straight matchups against the Bears.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will hit the road to face Howard on Monday, Feb. 9. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.
