WASHINGTON, D.C. –
Jordan Brathwaite drilled a game-tying three with three seconds remaining to force overtime, and five Bulldogs scored in double figures as the Yale men's basketball team outlasted Howard, 87–81, in an overtime thriller on Monday night at Burr Gymnasium.
The Bulldogs improved to 18-4, and the Bison dropped 15-10.
Turning Point
After Howard took a 69–63 lead with 1:35 remaining, the Bulldogs answered with five straight points, punctuated by a
Trevor Mullin three-pointer to make it 69–68 with 23 seconds left. Howard converted at the free-throw line to go up 71–68, but Brathwaite drilled a game-tying three with three seconds remaining to force overtime.
In overtime, Yale put together a five-point run, highlighted by another three from Mullin, his fifth of the night, to take a 77–73 lead with 2:11 to play. Howard trimmed the deficit to one at 77–76 shortly after, but an and-one dunk by
Samson Aletan and clutch free throws in the closing seconds sealed the win.
Notable Performances
- Mullin led the way with a game-high 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line, adding two rebounds and three assists.
- Nick Townsend contributed 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting, 2-of-5 from deep, and a perfect 4-of-4 from the line, while also recording eight rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block.
- Casey Simmons scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, alongside six rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
- Aletan posted a double-double with 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting and 14 rebounds, adding two blocks.
- Isaac Celiscar added 12 points with five rebounds, three steals, and an assist.
- Brathwaite contributed five points, including the game-tying three-pointer that forced overtime.
- Yale dominated the boards, outrebounding Howard 43-28.
- The Bulldogs shot 66.7% (4-of-6) in overtime.
Hear from Coach Jones
"It was just a really gutsy performance by us. They really played hard, stuck to it, stuck together, and kept believing—which you need to do. We didn't really prepare our team well enough to play offense against the matchup zone. We could've been better. Nonetheless, I'm happy we were able to fight through and get the victory."
Bulldog Notes
- Townsend has scored in double figures in 13 straight games.
- Mullin set a career high with 23 points.
- Aletan recorded a career-high 14 rebounds.
- Celiscar has reached double figures in 17 games this season.
- Aletan notched the second double-double of his career.
- Townsend has collected at least five rebounds in 21 of 22 games this season.
- Yale has won consecutive games.
- The Bulldogs hold a 5-0 record against Howard.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will hit the road to face Dartmouth on Friday, Feb. 13, and then Harvard on Saturday, Feb. 14.
