NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Coming off a big Senior Day victory over Princeton to close out the regular season, the No. 1 seed Yale men's basketball team looks to continue that momentum into the postseason, facing No. 4 seed Cornell in the Ivy Madness semifinal on Saturday, Mar. 14 at 11 a.m.
 
No. 4 Cornell vs. No. 1 Yale
Saturday, Mar. 14 – 11 a.m.
Newman Arena
Ithaca, N.Y.
ESPNU | Live Stats | Yale Game Notes
 
Last Time Out

• Nick Townsend led the way with a team-high 17 points, one of four Bulldogs to reach double figures, as the Yale men's basketball team finished the regular season strong with a 78-53 victory over Princeton.
• With the victory, the Bulldogs improved to 23-5 (11-3 Ivy) and clinched the outright Ivy League title.
• After Princeton cut the halftime deficit to just two points (32-30), the Bulldogs responded with a six-point surge, capped by a basket from Samson Aletan, to push their lead to eight (38-30) with 18:19 remaining. 
• A few minutes later, Yale continued to push the pace, scoring seven unanswered points to take a commanding 53-37 advantage at 12:09. The Bulldogs then went on another 7-0 run, highlighted by a Jordan Brathwaite dunk, stretching the lead to 63-41 with 8:38 left in the game. 
• Yale shot an impressive 56.7% (17-of-30) in the second half, reached its largest lead of the night at 78-49 with 2:09 remaining, and didn't look back.

 
Bulldog Notes

• Four Bulldogs are averaging double-digit points: Townsend (16.5 ppg), Isaac Celiscar (12.2 ppg), Trevor Mullin (11.0 ppg), and Riley Fox (10.3 ppg).
• Yale is fourth in the nation in three-point percentage (40.1), 16^th in winning percentage (82.1), 15^th in assist/turnover ratio (1.70), and 19^th in field goal percentage (49.7).
• The Bulldogs are first in the Ivy League in three-point field goal percentage (40.1).
• Townsend in seventh in the league in scoring (16.5 ppg), third in rebounding (7.5 rpg), first in three-point field goal percentage (48.3), and second in assists (4.1 apg).
• Celiscar is fifth in the league in rebounding (5.9 rpg), and Samson Aletan is sixth (5.7 rpg).
• Aletan is first in the Ivy League in field goal percentage (59.6), and Celiscar is second (56.4).
• Celiscar is ninth in the league in assists (3.1 apg).
• Brathwaite ranks in the top five in the league in three-point percentage (43.6).
• Townsend has reached double figures in scoring in 25 games this season.
• Simmons has posted double-digit points in each of the last eight games.
• The title marks the eighth Ivy League title during the Jones era.
• The Bulldogs have recorded at least 10 Ivy League wins for the seventh consecutive season.
• Yale has secured a top-four finish in the Ivy League for an impressive 25 straight seasons.
• The Bulldogs' 23 victories this season tie the modern-era program record.
• Yale has reached 20 or more wins for four consecutive seasons.
• The 23-5 record this season is the best during the Jones era.
• The title marks the eighth Ivy League title during the Jones era.
• The Bulldogs have recorded at least 10 Ivy League wins for the seventh consecutive season.
• Yale has secured a top-four finish in the Ivy League for an impressive 25 straight seasons.
• The Bulldogs' 23 victories this season tie the modern-era program record.
• Yale has reached 20 or more wins for four consecutive seasons.
• The 23-5 record this season is the best during the Jones era.
• The 2025-26 senior class has guided the Bulldogs to three Ivy League regular-season titles, two Ivy League Tournament championships, and two NCAA tournament appearances, highlighted by the program's second NCAA tournament win in 2023-24 against Auburn.

 
Season Notes

• Townsend was named a finalist for the Lou Henson Award on Mar. 12.
• Townsend was tabbed to the First-Team All-Ivy and Academic All-Ivy, Isaac Celiscar earned Second Team All-Ivy accolades, and Casey Simmons earned Honorable Mention All-Ivy honors on Mar. 11.
• Jones and his staff garnered Ivy League Co-Coaching Staff of the Year, Simmons was named Defensive Player of the Year, and Townsend earned Player of the Year accolades on Mar. 11.
• Townsend was named a finalist for the Nolan Richardson Award on Mar. 10. 
• Simmons was tabbed a finalist for the Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year award on Mar. 10.
• Jones was named a finalist for the Hugh Durham Award on Mar. 5.
• Jones was tabbed a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award on Mar. 3. 
• Jones was named a finalist for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award on Mar. 2.
• The Bulldogs clinched the Ivy League title and Ivy Madness No. 1 seed on Feb. 28.
• Townsend tallied his 1,000th career point and 500th career rebound on Jan. 30.
• Townsend was named Ivy League Player of the Week on Jan. 20.
• Townsend was tabbed a Field of 68 Midseason Mid-Major All-American on Dec. 27.
• Townsend was named to the 2025-26 Lou Henson Early Season Watch List on Dec. 18.
• The Bulldogs were ranked No. 2 with a first-place vote in the Mid Major Top 25 on Dec. 15.
• Yale tallied a program-record 117 points in a victory over SUNY Maritime on Dec. 2.
• Townsend was named USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week on Dec. 2.
• Townsend was tabbed Ivy League Player of the Week on Dec. 1.
• Yale was ranked No. 3 with a first-place vote in the Mid Major Top 25 on Dec. 1.
• Jones earned his 425th career victory at Vermont on Nov. 30.
• The Bulldogs were ranked No. 4 in the Mid Major Top 25 on Nov. 26.
• Yale was crowned Paradise Jam Champions on Nov. 24.
• Townsend was tabbed Ivy League Player of the Week on Nov. 10.
• Yale was ranked No. 5 in the Preseason Mid Major Top 25 on Oct. 27.
• The Bulldogs were unanimously selected to finish first in the Ivy League Preseason Poll on Oct. 23.
• Townsend was tabbed to the Field of 68 Mid-Major Preseason All-American First Team on Oct. 10.
• Jones was appointed to the NABC Board of Directors on Sept. 3.

 
Big Red Rewind

• The Bulldogs and Big Red last met in Ithaca on Feb. 27, with Cornell winning 72-69.
• Three Bulldogs tallied double-figures, but the Big Red sank a decisive three-pointer with less than five seconds to go to seal the win.
• Townsend, Celiscar, and Simmons all notched 14 points.
• Yale shot 63% (17-of-27) in the second half, and tallied 42 points in the paint.

 
Scouting Cornell

• Cornell enters the weekend with a 15-12 overall record (8-6 Ivy).
• The Big Red is coming off a big 111-90 victory over Dartmouth on Saturday to close the regular season.
• In the win, Jake Fiegen scored 22 points, headlining an offense that shot better than 63% from the field and drilled 19 three-pointers, breaking a 61-year old school record for points against an Ivy League opponent. The 19 three pointers also marked Cornell's fifth game this season with at least 19 makes from beyond the arc.
• Fiegen made 7-of-9 shots, including five three-pointers, to pace five double-figure scorers.

 
Up Next
The championship game will take place on Sunday, Mar. 15 at noon on ESPN2.