Yale Athletics

When rivals meet, the common saying typically is “Throw out the records.” However, on Saturday, when Yale (11–6, 4–0 Ivy) and Harvard (6–11, 1–3 Ivy) squared off, the Bulldogs dominated to the tune of an 84-55 victory.

Playing in front of a near-capacity crowd, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 17-5 lead in under six minutes and never looked back.

Leading the way for Yale was Nick Townsend ’26, who posted a career-high tying 22 points. Bez Mbeng ’25 contributed 12 of his own points, which put him over 1,000 in his career. 

The win was big both on the scoreboard and in the standings, as Princeton (14–5, 3–1 Ivy) lost to Cornell. That loss and the Yale win moved the Bulldogs into sole possession of first place in the Ivy League. The Bulldogs also have yet to lose at home this season, with a perfect 7–0 record at home.

With the crowd roaring, the Bulldogs kept their composure and their foot on the pedal as the score climbed steadily the whole game. Samson Aletan ’27 was a huge part of the Bulldogs’ momentum, coming up with big dunks in both the first and second half. 

Not only the leading scorer, Townsend also ended the game with the most rebounds, posting twelve on the stats sheet. His hustle on both sides of the court kept the Bulldogs in the game and made sure that Harvard never came close to overtaking them. 

In the second half, the Crimson never got closer than 15 points and the Bulldogs’ depth carried many of the minutes before the close of the game. 

The two teams will face off again in Cambridge later this season but for now, the sole focus of the Bulldogs will be next Saturday’s visit to Princeton. 

The Yale-Princeton game will take place on Friday at 2 p.m.

SPENCER KING
Spencer King is a former Editor for the Sports desk. Currently he covers football for the News. He has also previously covered the Yale men's lacrosse team, women's hockey team and most things Bulldogs sports. Spencer is a senior in Davenport College and is majoring in Political Science.
SIENNA TEJPAUL
Sienna is a sophomore in Pauli Murray and she is majoring in Ethics, Politics and Economics with a certificate in French. She currently covers Football and Basketball for the News and also enjoys writing for University and WKND on occasion. She is originally from London and now lives in Connecticut.