MEN’S BASKETBALL: Bulldogs dominate in Ivy League opener vs Brown
The Bulldogs dominated the second half to secure a decisive win over Brown in their Ivy League season opener.

Yale Athletics
In their last game of winter break, the Yale men’s basketball team (8–6, 1–0 Ivy) faced the Brown Bears (8–6, 0–1 Ivy) at home and walked away with a 79-58 win. This was both team’s league opener and a strong start to Ivy play for the Bulldogs.
The beginning of the season was a bit of a roller coaster for Yale, however the team tightened up going into winter break, winning four of five games. This momentum comes at an opportune time as the Bulldogs begin their Ivy League play, which will determine their chances at the NCAA tournament.
Looking at their win on Saturday, a relatively new face for the Bulldogs made a big contribution on the scoreboard. Casey Simmons ’26, a 6’6” forward, scored a career high 18 points. After graduating high school as the top prospect from Massachusetts, Simmons played his first year at Northwestern before transferring to Yale. Last season he was a contributor off of the bench, but this year he is starting for the first time in his Yale career.
Joining Simmons with 18 points was Nick Townsend ’26, a familiar name on the stats sheet. Townsend has continued to play well this season after his strong showing last season. His leadership was anticipated for the team after losing Danny Wolf to Michigan, and Townsend has lived up to every expectation.
The game started out close with both teams taking the lead several times in the first half. However, the Bulldogs grabbed the lead with about seven minutes left in the half though and with the help of Samson Aletan ’27, John Poulakidas ’25 and Townsend held on to it for the rest of the half, ending 34-28.
The Bulldogs were able to keep the momentum and dominated the second half, never letting the Bears come within more than three points of them. This is the kind of performance Bulldog fans have been looking for out of this team, as they have a history of fizzling out in the closing minutes. The game ended 79-58 for the Bulldogs, and solidified an excellent Ivy League performance.
The Bulldogs will have a week off before facing Columbia next Saturday in New York, looking to carry this winter break momentum into their next Ivy League game. Columbia is coming off of their first league loss against Cornell which should give the Bulldogs some added confidence as well.
The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.