The Yale women’s basketball team defeated the Brown Bears 73-40 on Saturday, scoring a victory against the Ivy foe for the first time in three years and extending their winning streak to six consecutive games.
The final tally demonstrated the depth of this year’s women’s team with five Bulldogs scoring in double digits. Yale (12–3, 2–0 Ivy), whose defense had some difficulty protecting the lead in the same matchup just a week prior, was unwavering on Saturday. The team held the Bears (6–9, 0–2) to 26 percent shooting. The Elis ranked No. 17 among mid-major teams according to College Insider, and outscored Brown 26–2 in a run that spanned the second and third quarters. With 5:36 left in the third, Brown was down 52–20, and there was no chance for a comeback. Having already achieved their best start to a season in program history, the Bulldogs will look to extend their record at Columbia next week.
“I think we came into the second Brown game feeling like we still had something to prove,” captain and forward Meghan Goman ’20 said. “We were up by a large margin heading into the 4th quarter [in the first game against Brown] and let it slip away. This helped keep us focused before and throughout our game at Brown.”
As they did the previous week, the Elis got off to an aggressive start. By the end of the first, the Blue and White were up 19–5. All of Brown’s points in the first quarter came from senior guard Justine Gaziano, who tallied 15 points on the game. Although the Bears narrowed the deficit to eight points in the second quarter, the Bulldogs responded with a 10–0 run to extend the lead to 18 at the half.
The Elis achieved both of their goals in their second conference matchup of the season. Compared to their Ivy opener last week, the Bulldogs’ passing looked crisper and the defense more complete. The Blue and White held its travel partner to just 24.1 percent from the field in the first half.
“This past week, we built on our defense,” forward Alex Cade ’21 said. “We were upset about how we let Brown come back in the fourth in the previous game, and we didn’t want to let that happen again. Offensively, we wanted to make sure we shared the ball better this time around as well.”
The Bulldogs also battled on the glass, winning the rebound battle 25–18 in the first half. The Blue and White were particularly effective on the offensive glass, finding many of its points on second chance opportunities.
With double-digit performances from five different players, Yale’s offense was balanced and imposing. Guard Roxy Barahman ’20, who was named Ivy League Player of the Week last Monday following the first bout against Brown, scored a team-high 16 points on Saturday. Gorman recorded a double-double, while guard Tori Andrew ’21 and Cade netted 11 points apiece.
These offensive contributions are a positive sign for the Bulldogs, who have relied quite heavily on the trio of Barahman, forward Camilla Emsbo ’22, and guard Ellen Margaret Andrews ’21. With a diverse group of contributors on the offensive end and a suffocating defense that limited their opponent to just 40 points, the Bulldogs seem to be hitting their stride as conference play picks up.
By the fourth quarter, head coach Allison Guth substituted in reserve players to give them some much-deserved playing time. Even without the starters, the Bulldogs held Brown to ten points in the frame.
“We’ve continued to give our full physical and mental effort each day in practice,” Andrews said. “By focusing closely on the scouts, we’ve felt completely prepared to execute when the game comes. Looking forward, we will work on continuing to get better. There’s still much of the season ahead, so we need to remain hungry.”
The next test for the Elis comes on Friday when they face Columbia in New York. The Bulldogs will then travel directly to Ithaca for a matchup against Cornell the following day.
Drew Beckmen | drew.beckmen@yale.edu
Sophie Kane | sophie.kane@yale.edu