The men’s basketball team will host its second round National Invitation Tournament game Tuesday, March 19 at 7:30 at the New Haven Coliseum.
Yale (21-10) will host Tennessee Tech (26-6), who upset Dayton 68-59 on the road Friday night to set the stage for the Eli home game. The Yale Athletic Department had been in negotiations with the Coliseum to host a potential NIT game and Friday night after the Tennessee Tech victory, NIT officials called Yale to grant them the home game, an Athletic Department official said.
The Bulldogs are coming off their first postseason win in school history, upsetting Rutgers on the road 67-65 Thursday night.
“I am excited to be playing at home,” Yale head coach James Jones said. “Hopefully, we have built up the fan base to fill up the Coliseum.”
Yale has not played a game in the New Haven Coliseum – which has a capacity of 8,800 – since a 49-48 loss to Connecticut on Nov. 29, 1990. The Bulldogs are 0-3-all time at games played in the Coliseum.
Jones said the team will practice in the Coliseum before Tuesday night’s game to get familiar with the building.
If the Bulldogs win Tuesday, they will advance to play the winner of Monday’s Brigham Young at Memphis game later in the week, which will almost certainly be a road game for the Elis.
Yale President Richard Levin has made approximately 6,000 tickets in the upper level of the New Haven Coliseum available free of charge for the Yale and New Haven communities. These tickets can be picked up at the New Haven Coliseum box office, which is open on Sunday, Mar. 17 from noon until 5 p.m., Monday, Mar. 18 from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. and Tuesday, Mar. 18 from 10 a.m. until game time.
Tickets also are available at the Yale Ticket Office, which will be open on Monday, Mar. 18 from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Yale students should pick up their tickets at the Yale Ticket Office. In addition, fans can purchase tickets in reserved sections for $15 or $8. For more ticket information, call the Yale Ticket Office at (203) 432-1400.
The Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech won the Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship but lost to Murray State in the conference tournament finals for the right to go to the NCAA tournament. Like Yale, Tennessee Tech features four players who score in double figures and prefers high scoring affairs, averaging 79.7 points per game.
“They are very similar to us,” Jones said. “We are going to have our hands full.”
Tennessee Tech has already won two NIT games. The NIT expanded from 32 to 40 teams this season, prompting the inclusion of an opening round featuring 16 teams. The Golden Eagles were one of those teams, defeating Georgia State 64-62 on a last second shot in their opening round game Wednesday March 13 before beating Dayton in the first round.
Yale did not have to play an opening round game and while Jones is very happy to be playing in New Haven in front of hometown fans, he does not think being at home will be a distinct advantage.
“We beat Rutgers at Rutgers and they beat Dayton at Dayton, so it probably doesn’t mean too much,” Jones said.