Sam Rubin '95
After wins against UMass Lowell and Northeastern, the Yale women’s basketball team headed to the Golden State to wrap up a stretch of six consecutive road games. Although the Elis suffered a 35-point defeat at the hands of No. 11 UCLA Bruins, they rebounded, winning both of their games at the LMU Thanksgiving Classic against Fresno State and Marymount.
On Tuesday, the Bulldogs (5–2, 0–0 Ivy) faced the Bruins (7–0, 0–0 Pac-12) in the first ever meeting between the two programs. Despite a career-high 22 points from guard Ellen Margaret Andrews ’21, the Blue and White had no answer for the host’s high-octane offense. After establishing a 15-point lead in the first quarter, the Bruins never looked back, cruising to a 100–65 victory. But the Elis responded against Fresno State (5–3, 0–0 MW) and Loyola Marymount (2–6, 0–0 WCC) as they tallied two double-digit wins.
“The team is feeling very positive after this week of games,” Andrews said. “We’re proud of the fact that we maintained composure during pivotal moments of our two tournament games, and were excited to rebound so strongly after a tough loss to a very talented UCLA team. We’re looking forward to taking on Providence again this week to see if we can mount a comeback, and are also excited for the chance to play St. John’s — which is another excellent team.”
UCLA is the highest-ranked team on the Elis’ schedule this season. Although the Bulldogs proved to be outmatched against the Pac-12 powerhouse, the contest will undeniably provide valuable experience as the Blue and White heads into its upcoming contests against other power conference opponents such as St. John’s and UNC.
After celebrating Thanksgiving at the home of guard Roxy Barahman ’20 in Calabasas, California, the Bulldogs hit the court on Friday in their first matchup of the LMU Thanksgiving Classic against Fresno State.
Fueled by 26 points from forward Camilla Emsbo ’22, the Elis defeated FSU by 20 points, their largest margin of victory this season. Emsbo, who also brought in 17 rebounds en route to her fourth double-double of the season, was joined by Barahman as the team’s leading scorers. Barahman, who tallied 18 points, is averaging 17 points on the season, while last year, she averaged 18.6 points, which led the Ivy League.
The next day, the Bulldogs recorded an 81–65 win against the tournament’s host, Loyola Marymount. In their fifth win of the season, the Elis never allowed the Lions to cut the deficit to less than eight. Andrews led the way with 22 points, and Barahman added an additional 16.
“It was an awesome experience being able to play in front of my family, friends, and former coaches who haven’t seen me play in person since high school,” Barahman said. “We knew UCLA was going to be a super tough game, but we were able to bounce back from that loss and beat two other Californian teams in the LMU tournament which was a lot of fun. While we did scout these two teams, we focused more on [our] own personal growth in our pack defense and attack offense and preparing for a faceless opponent which ultimately helped get us those wins.”
Although the LMU Thanksgiving Classic does not crown a single winner, the Bulldogs emerged as the only undefeated team among the four participants. After their strong performance out west, the Elis will turn their attention back to the East Coast this Tuesday.
The Blue and White once again hosted Providence to play the second half of its season opener, which was suspended due to a scoreboard malfunction. Down by nine points at the half, the Elis must use the lessons they learned in California to cut the deficit and emerge victorious.
“It is very strange to prepare for just a half, but we are excited about the opportunity to come back and play Providence,” captain Megan Gorman ’20 said. “I think we have grown a lot over the last month as a team, and Tuesday will be a great showcase of that.”
Tuesday’s second half starts at 5 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Drew Beckmen | drew.beckmen@yale.edu
Sophie Kane | sophie.kane@yale.edu