Yale Daily News

On Friday night, the Yale women’s basketball team (2–0, 0–0 Ivy) took on the Northeastern Huskies (1–1, 0–0 CAA) in front of an eager home crowd in the John J. Lee Amphitheater.

The Bulldogs prevailed against the Huskies in a drawn-out battle, securing a 63-60 overtime victory. Both sides shot poorly from the field, and neither team was able to build a large lead throughout the ballgame.

The team’s only returning starter from two years ago, Camilla Emsbo ’23, recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, but still wasn’t pleased with the result. 

“Overall, I think it was a pretty poor offensive showing for our team,” Emsbo said in an interview. “We had 29 turnovers and very little flow in our offense. That being said, the fact that we were able to grind out another overtime win says a lot about our team’s tenacity and grit this season. This game made it very clear that we have a lot of room to grow, but if we are able to maintain the same tough mentality while also executing our offensive principles, we should be in a really exciting position for success.”

The Bulldogs led 18–15 at the end of the first quarter, but the Huskies opened the second period of play with a 12–3 run to build a six-point lead, the largest of the game. The Blue and White responded positively in the face of this deficit, and a layup in the final seconds of the half brought Yale back within three points.

Yale had a strong start after the halftime break. Alex Cade ’24 knocked down a three-pointer on the first possession of the third quarter to tie the score at 29 and then made a layup to put the Bulldogs in front. The team focused more on attacking the rim after the halftime break, scoring 10 of their 13 points on layups and free throws. 

Cade poured in seven more points in the fourth quarter, and Yale led by three with 19 seconds remaining after she made two clutch free throws. However, Kendall Currence, who led the Huskies with 15 points in the game, drew a foul on a three-point attempt and made all three of her free throws to send the game to overtime. 

The teams traded baskets for the first three minutes of overtime. After Currence put the Huskies up 60–57 with a three-pointer, Jenna Clark responded by knocking down a three of her own on the next possession to tie the game. Ultimately, Christen McCann ’25 hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 1:14 remaining on the clock. Neither team scored again, allowing the Bulldogs to walk away victorious. After the game, Cade described the resiliency the team showed in the overtime battle.

“Our energy and our heart is truly there,” Cade said. “As a team, we know each girl has each other’s back.”

Cade and Jenna Clark ’24 led the Blue and White in scoring with 16 each. Clark also pulled in six rebounds and dished out five assists. First-year guard McCann, who hit the game-winner, had a massive effort in the win. She played all 45 minutes and scored 12 points while making three of her seven attempts from behind the arc. 

Perhaps more importantly than any individual’s offensive output is the work that the Bulldogs did on the other end of the court. Their defense was stifling, as they held the Huskies to 39% shooting overall, and 15% from three-point range.

Prior to the season, Coach Guth explained that the team’s identity would center around their defensive efforts, with everyone chipping in on offense.

“We want to push in transition,” Guth said. “We want to be known for how we run a motion, equal-opportunity offense.” We want to run a really tough pack-line defense that forces teams to take contested shots.”

The Blue and White will drive up to Fairfield, CT to take on Sacred Heart on Wednesday, kicking off an eight-game stretch that includes seven away games.

Yale has won 68 percent of its home games since the start of the 2014-15 season.