Yale Athletics

The Yale women’s basketball team (2–15, 1–3 Ivy) has certainly not had the season they have been hoping for, but this past weekend, the Bulldogs were able to secure their second win of the season despite dropping a game earlier on Saturday to Columbia.

Their first matchup of the three-day weekend, held at home Saturday, Jan. 18, hosted the Columbia Lions (13–4, 4–0 Ivy), who sauntered into New Haven undefeated in the Ivy League, hot off a triumph over the Cornell Big Red just the week before.

At the start of the first period, the normal starting five for the Bulldogs looked a little different: Lucy Lynn ’27 got the call in place of Marisa Chapman ’28.

As the clock began, the Bulldogs got off to a slow start, at one point trailing by more than 20 points during the first two periods. Nevertheless, despite a creeping deficit, Yale found momentum. Just before halftime, Lola Lesmond ’26 leaped off the bench and sank three three-pointers in a row. From there, running off into the locker room to recoup, the Bulldogs returned and played some of their best basketball of the season.

The third period, trailing 29–50, began with two good free throws from Ke’iara Odume ’28 followed by Mackenzie Egger ’25 racking up 50 percent of her team’s points scored within the quarter. Outscoring Columbia 35–34 in the second half, a feat no other Ivy League team has done this season, the Bulldogs proved that they are a team to compete with. However, this was not enough to make up for the disparity in the first half, and Yale fell to the Lions 64–84.

The bench continued to prove a crucial part of the Bulldogs’ game, with two of the three top scorers — Ciniya Moore ’28 and Lesmond, each with nine points — coming off the sideline. Egger had 14 points and her sixth double-double of the year.

Kiley Capstraw ’26, a leader on the team, told the News that she is optimistic for the remainder of the season to see the group’s work pay off.

“[We’re] trying to learn all of our strengths on the court,” she said. “We have worked hard to gain better team chemistry on and off the court, and it will help us as we advance to Ivy League play. We are lucky to play in such a competitive league where every game is a battle.”

The Bulldogs then hit the road to Hanover, New Hampshire, home of the Dartmouth Big Green (8–9, 2–2 Ivy).

Despite falling behind early in the game 2–7, the Bulldogs consistently powered forward, never losing sight of the goal until they eventually tied the game on a Grace Thybulle ’25 jumper at 5:11 in the first period. From there, Thybulle and the other seniors scored every point for the Bulldogs in the remaining quarter, sending their team into the second with an 18–12 lead.

Although a late run from Dartmouth cut the Bulldogs’ lead to just three points going into the third, Yale soon rebounded, led once again by the surging senior leadership of Thybulle, Egger and Avery Lee ’25. Defense by Chapman and Lynn, as well as a layup by Abigail Long ’28, helped to extend the lead to as much as 12 points.

In the fourth period, the game tightened. Dartmouth, fashioning together small 7–0 and 4–0 runs, began to push Yale back into a corner. With 26 seconds left in the game, Yale had the lead by one point. A foul by Big Green player Alexandra Eldridge on Capstraw, who made both free throws, allowed Yale to breathe with a three-point lead momentarily.

Then, with nine seconds left, Dartmouth guard Nina Minicozzi put a layup in the basket and put Yale back on their heels, anxious to secure their first conference win. In a moment of complete déjà vu, once again, Eldridge fouled Capstraw, and once again, Capstraw sank both free throws. 

Yale won the game 70–67.

Lee told the News that the win felt “amazing.”

“It was a total team effort and we played together the whole game,” she said. “Everyone executed their role, and it was just a lot of fun to be out there competing.”

Lee had the third-most points of the game with 11; ahead of her were fellow seniors Egger (17) and Thybulle (22). The 70-point stand against Dartmouth was a season-high for the Bulldogs.

Up next, Yale will travel to Cambridge to face the Harvard Crimson (14–2, 3–1 Ivy) Saturday, Jan. 25.

MEREDITH HENDERSON
Meredith Henderson covers a variety of sports for the YDN. She is a sophomore in Saybrook College from Keller, Texas. She plays varsity softball and is double-majoring in Psychology and English with a concentration in creative writing.