Tag Archive: W. Basketball

  1. W. BASKETBALL | Women host Crimson, Big Green

    1 Comment

    After a weekend split on the road, the women’s basketball team returns home to host Harvard and Dartmouth in another pair of key conference matchups.

    The Bulldogs (8–12, 4–2 Ivy) will host the Crimson (13–6, 5–0) tonight and the Big Green (5–14, 1–4) tomorrow night. The Elis enter the two matchups looking to rebound from a 67–57 loss at Columbia last Saturday. Yale is currently tied with Columbia for third place in the Ivy League.

    The weekend begins with a meeting against archrival Harvard. The Crimson is the only remaining team in the Ancient Eight with an undefeated league record and currently sits atop the Ivy League standings. Harvard is coming off a sweep of Princeton and Penn over the weekend and is currently riding a seven-game winning streak.

    Harvard boasts the highest-scoring offense in the Ancient Eight, averaging 74.2 points per game. Guards Brogan Berry and Victoria Lippert are the Crimson’s top scorers, averaging 14.1 and 13.6 points per game, respectively, and are ranked as the second- and third-leading scorers in the Ivy League. Berry also leads the league in assists per game, dishing out 4.58 assists a night.

    “Harvard has a great transition game, probably the best in the league at that, so you definitely have to stop that,” head coach Chris Gobrecht said. “I think they have a lot of weapons, they’re deep [and] they play a lot of people, so they just keep coming at you. But I think if we play our game and do the things that we’re capable of doing, it’s going to be an excellent game.”

    The Crimson swept the season series against the Bulldogs last season and has won the last four meetings between the two teams. Harvard leads the all-time series against Yale 41–27.

    The Elis will end the weekend with a game against Dartmouth on Saturday night. The Big Green is coming off a weekend split, earning its first league win against Penn, 68–65, last Friday, but suffering a defeat to Princeton, 75–50, the following day.

    Sophomore guard Faziah Steen leads the Big Green with 12.6 points per game, while freshman forward Janelle Ross averages a team-best 6.5 rebounds per game.

    “They’re just a solid team that’s not going to beat themselves,” Gobrecht said. “You’ve got to beat Dartmouth. They take care of the important things, they rebound great and they work really hard on not turning the ball over. I think it’ll be important that we pressure them and try to keep the game fast-paced, and that’s a little harder usually on a Saturday night than it is on a Friday night.”

    Though the Bulldogs swept the season series against Dartmouth last season, the Big Green still holds a significant edge in the all-time series, leading 50–16.

    This Saturday the Bulldogs will also participate in the Women’s College Basketball Association’s Pink Zone Day, an annual event to raise breast cancer awareness. The fundraiser will feature a silent auction. Raffle tickets and T-shirts will also be sold to raise money for the Smilow Cancer Center. All the funds collected from ticket sales will also be donated to the cause.

    Tip-off for both games is slated for 7 p.m. at John J. Lee Amphitheater.

  2. W. BASKETBALL | Another weekend, another split

    1 Comment

    The women’s basketball team’s New York road trip ended with another weekend split for the Elis.

    The Bulldogs (8–12, 4–2 Ivy) defeated Cornell (5–15, 2–4) 57–49 in Ithaca on Friday night before falling at Columbia (5–15, 4–2) 67–57 the next day.

    “This is probably the toughest road trip because Cornell is so far away, and Columbia had a bunch of fans, so it was a really tough environment,” captain Yoyo Greenfield ’11 said. “I feel like we didn’t really step up to play the second night out.”

    After splitting the weekend games, the Bulldogs are now tied with Columbia for third place in the Ancient Eight standings, behind Harvard and Princeton.

    The road trip began when the Elis traveled to upstate New York face the Big Red. Despite a slow offensive start to the game, the Bulldogs rallied in the second half to power past Cornell.

    “I think it’s a good sign when you can not play your best and get it done on the road,” head coach Chris Gobrecht said. “I thought we really struggled, and it had all the signs of one of those nightmarish games on the road. We had people in foul trouble, and we couldn’t get anything, and we had a really hard time getting on track offensively.”

    Three Elis ended the night with double-digit point totals. Forward Mady Gobrecht ’11 scored a game-high 18 points and pulled down six rebounds, while guard Megan Vasquez ’13 and forward Janna Graf ’14 totaled 14 points each.

    The Bulldogs also saw the return of Greenfield, who had missed the last 13 games with lingering concussion symptoms from a collision she suffered in November. Greenfield was limited to five minutes off the bench and had one rebound and one steal.

    [ydn-legacy-photo-inline id=”5011″ ]

    “It was great to have her out there,” coach Gobrecht said. “She’s got to get some rust out and whatnot, but she’s going to be important to us. I think that every game she’s going to keep getting better and better.”

    Guards Allyson DiMagno and Taylor Flynn led Cornell with 10 points each in the effort. DiMagno also grabbed nine boards, while guard Stephanie Long tallied a game-high five assists.

    The Big Red opened the game by outscoring the Bulldogs 12–3 over the first eight minutes to take an early lead. But the Elis responded with 12 unanswered points, seven of which were from Gobrecht, to go up 15–12 at the 9:47 mark.

    Still, the Bulldogs’ edge did not last long, as Cornell used two consecutive layups to take a slim 16–15 lead.

    The two teams traded buckets for the remainder of the half, but Flynn knocked down two free throws with 48 seconds left to give the Big Red a 24–21 advantage at halftime.

    Cornell started the second half by expanding its lead to eight after Kristina Danielak hit a pair of jumpers and Clare Fitzpatrick added a free throw. But the Bulldogs used three shots from beyond the arc from Vasquez, forward Ericka von Kaeppler ’13 and Gobrecht to get back in the game and trim Cornell’s lead to 31–30 at the 12:28 mark.

    One minute later, a pair of shots from the charity stripe from forward Michelle Cashen ’12 gave the Bulldogs a one-point lead. Cornell’s Maka Anyanwu countered with a layup that gave the Big Red a 33–32 lead with 11:16 to play, but that would be the last time Cornell would lead. The Bulldogs shutdown Cornell’s offense over the next 4:32 while scoring 10 consecutive points to go up 42–33 with 7:14 left on the clock.

    “We had trouble scoring in the first half, so in the second half we really worked on executing our offense,” Vasquez said. “Also, we switched up our defenses during the second half and Cornell had a hard time scoring on us.”

    Still, the Big Red battled back to cut the deficit. A layup from Spencer Lane brought Cornell within four points with 3:15 to play, but that would be as close as Cornell would get. The Elis hit key free throws down the stretch to secure their fourth league win.

    “They were very physical and played hard,” coach Gobrecht said. “It wasn’t that pretty, but we got it done. But I do think we need to play better tomorrow night.”

    The Elis continued their New York swing the next day when they visited the Big Apple to take on Columbia at Levien Gymnasium. Though the two teams battled back and forth for most of the first half, the Lions used a second-half offensive surge to outpace the Bulldogs.

    “I feel like we did not play as smart as we could have played, and we did not play up to our potential,” Greenfield said.

    Vasquez scored a game-high 17 points and added four steals in the effort. Guard Allie Messimer ’13 also chipped in with 12 points off the bench, while Cashen totaled 10 points and five boards.

    Columbia guard Melissa Shafter came in off the bench to lead the Lions with 14 points and six assists. Kathleen Barry and Brianna Olrich also contributed with 12 and 13 points, respectively. Barry also added eight boards for Columbia.

    The game began with both teams trading baskets over the first five minutes of play. The Bulldogs briefly took the lead after a layup from Gobrecht put them up 8–7 at the 16:42 mark, but the Lions responded with a 10–2 run that gave them a 17–10 advantage with 12:38 left in the half.

    Still, Yale’s defense got the Bulldogs back in the game, holding Columbia scoreless over six minutes while scoring 12 unanswered points to take a 29–22 edge with 4:28 left in the half.

    But the Lions erased the deficit by outscoring the Elis 13–3 over the final minutes of the half to take a 35–32 lead into the locker room.

    Columbia stayed in control of the game in the second half, using an 11–3 run to take a 46–35 lead with 13:56 left on the clock.

    “We just didn’t get it done on the defensive end like we usually do,” Greenfield said. “They just got a lot of open shots, and they were hitting them, and we weren’t hitting our shots in the paint.”

    The Bulldogs pulled within four points six minutes later after scoring six consecutive points, capped by a three-pointer from Messimer, but the Lions crushed the Elis’ hopes of a comeback with an 11–2 run to go up 63–50 with 1:46 remaining. After that, Yale could not overcome the deficit, and Columbia was able to pull away with its third straight victory.

    The Bulldogs return home this weekend to host first-place Harvard on Friday and Dartmouth on Saturday. Tip-off for both games is slated for 7 p.m. at John J. Lee Amphitheater.

  3. W. BASKETBALL | Off to New York

    Leave a Comment

    The women’s basketball team will be in an empire state of mind this weekend when it travels to New York for another series of back-to-back Ivy League matchups.

    The Bulldogs (7–11, 3–1 Ivy), coming off a weekend split against Penn and Princeton, will face Cornell (5–13, 2–2) tonight, and Columbia (3–15, 2–2) on Saturday. Though the Elis defeated the Quakers 53–44 on Friday, they suffered their first league loss the following night at the hands of the Tigers, 52–37.

    Yale currently sits in third place in the Ancient Eight standings, behind Harvard and Princeton, who are both 3–0 in league play.

    Cornell (5–13, 2–2) also enters the matchup having won one of its two weekend matchups last week. The Big Red defeated Dartmouth 66–55 last Friday, but fell to Harvard 67–36 on Saturday.

    Cornell is led by sophomore forward Clare Fitzpatrick, who is averaging 11.1 points per game. Fitzpatrick is also tied with freshman guard Allyson DiMagno as the team’s leading rebounder, with both averaging 5.3 boards per game.

    The Bulldogs swept the season series against the Big Red last season. The Elis hold a 41–22 advantage in the all-time series against Cornell.

    “Last time [against Princeton] we got beat on the boards, so we have to go out there and make sure we out-rebound them and have less turnovers,” guard Allie Messimer ’13 said.

    Yale will then visit the Big Apple on Saturday for a matchup with Columbia (3–15, 2–2). The Lions came just short of upsetting Harvard last Friday, but ultimately fell 69–68 to the Crimson. Still, Columbia rebounded the next day with a 67–61 win over Dartmouth.

    Seniors Kathleen Barry and Lauren Dwyer are the Lions’ top scorers, averaging 11.3 and 10.3 points per game, respectively.

    The Elis split their two meetings with Columbia last season. Though the Bulldogs earned an 81–74 victory at home, they fell to the Lions 64–47 in New York in the second meeting. Yale leads the all-time series against Columbia by a 38–14 margin.

    “We need to go out there and play Bulldog basketball and get the job done,” Messimer said.

    Tip-off against Cornell is slated for Friday at Newman Arena, while the matchup against Columbia is scheduled for Saturday at Levien Gymnasium. Both games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

  4. W. BASKETBALL | Back-to-back Ivy matchups for Elis

    Leave a Comment

    After sweeping Brown in its first two Ivy League games of the season, the women’s basketball team will look to build on its strong start to conference play this weekend.

    The Bulldogs, who currently sit on top of the league standings, will host Penn on Friday night and Princeton on Saturday night in their first weekend of back-to-back league action.

    Yale (6–10, 2–0 Ivy) enters this week’s contests coming off a 71–59 road win over Brown last Friday. With the win, the Bulldogs completed the season sweep of the Bears, which was the first time Yale had done so since winning both games against Brown in the 2007-08 season.

    “You have got to start off 2–0 when you play your rival right at the beginning, but we just play it one game at a time,” head coach Chris Gobrecht said last Friday. “We’re just on a mission to get better.”

    The Quakers (6–9, 0–1) are coming off a 62–55 defeat by Temple last Saturday. Penn has only had one Ancient Eight matchup so far this season, which was a 56–45 loss to Princeton on Jan. 8.

    Penn is led by freshman guard Alyssa Baron, who is averaging 16.1 points a night, good for second in the Ivy League. The Quakers are also strong on the boards, with junior forward Jess Knapp averaging a league-best 7.5 rebounds per game. Penn also leads the league in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 54.1 points per game.

    The Elis swept both meetings against Penn last season and have won four of the last five games against the Quakers. Both teams have 33 wins in 66 all-time meetings against each other.

    Following Friday’s matchup with Penn, the Bulldogs will host defending Ivy League champion Princeton on Saturday night. The Tigers (12–3, 1–0) currently hold a 20 game conference win streak and were picked to repeat as Ancient Eight champions in an Ivy League preseason poll.

    The Tigers’ Niveen Rasheed, who leads the league in scoring and steals and was second in rebounding, will be out for the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL, but Princeton is still favored to win the Ivy crown. Princeton has a league-best +15.2 scoring margin, averaging 70.7 points per game while limiting opponents to 55.5 points.

    Guard Addie Micir leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.1 points a night. Princeton also boasts the league’s best shooter in center Devona Allgood, who has a .548 field goal percentage.

    The Tigers have defeated the Bulldogs in three straight meetings, including a 65–44 win on the Elis’ court last season. Princeton holds a 43–30 advantage in the all-time series against Yale.

    Both games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at John J. Lee Amphitheater.

  5. W. BASKETBALL | Elis complete sweep over Bears

    Leave a Comment

    Members of the women’s basketball team said it knew winning two consecutive games against Brown would not be easy, but after defeating the Bears in New Haven on Jan. 21, the Elis came out on top once again on Friday night, winning 71–59 at the Pizzitola Sports Center.

    The Elis (6–10, 2–0 Ivy) used an 8–0 run in the first half to take control of a tight game. Though the Bears (4–12, 0–2) pulled within four points with seven minutes to play in the second half, the Bulldogs went on a 10–0 run, reestablishing a double-digit lead and crushing any hopes of a Brown comeback.

    With the win, the Bulldogs complete the series sweep of their Ancient Eight rival. It is the first time either team has won both games against the other squad since Yale swept Brown in the 2007-08 season.

    [ydn-legacy-photo-inline id=”5176″ ]

    “Sweeping Brown is an awesome beginning to our season,” guard Megan Vasquez ’13 said. “The past two years we have split with Brown when we should have swept them, so this year we are starting off the season right.”

    Vasquez led all scorers with 18 points, while adding six rebounds and five steals. Forward Mady Gobrecht ’11 also recorded her second consecutive double-double, tallying 16 points and 10 boards.

    “I thought it was really key that Megan, as our point guard, was so focused both on offense and on defense,” head coach Chris Gobrecht said. “She really stepped up her game. She was a different player than she was a week ago.”

    Brown’s guard Lindsay Nickel scored 17 points and grabbed six boards to lead her team. Guard Hannah Passafuime also added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Bears. Guard Sheila Dixon, who netted 21 points against the Bulldogs in the team’s first matchup, was held to just eight points.

    The Bulldogs opened the game by hitting three shots from the beyond the arc off the hands of Vasquez, guard Aarica West ’13 and guard Allie Messimer ’13 to take an early 9–7 lead.

    The two teams were locked in a close battle until the Elis used an 8–0 run to take a 26–15 lead with 5:05 left in the half. Yale managed to control the game for the rest of the first half and took a nine-point lead into the locker room.

    “I thought we came out much more ready to play this time than we did last week when we played them,” coach Gobrecht said. “We were ready for them.”

    The Bulldogs continued to be the dominant team in the second half and pushed their lead to 41–30 following a basket from Vasquez at the 14:10 mark.

    Still, the Bears battled back to reduce the deficit. A layup and two free throws from Brown’s Aileen Daniels pulled the Bears within four points with 7:37 left on the clock.

    But the Bulldogs remained focused and responded by going on a 10–0 run to establish a 58–44 advantage with 5:35 left in regulation.

    “Our 10–0 run was very important because we showed a lot of composure down the stretch, and we were able to keep control of the game even when Brown started to make a comeback,” Vasquez said.

    After the run, Yale was able to maintain a double-digit lead for the rest of the game to pull away with its second win over Brown in two weeks.

    “Everyone played really good, solid defense and we got contributions from the bench, and so it was a kind of solid effort,” coach Gobrecht said. “You have got to start off 2–0 when you play your rival right at the beginning, but we just play it one game at a time, and we’re just on a mission to get better.”

    The Bulldogs continue Ivy League play next weekend when they host Penn on Friday night and Princeton on Saturday night. Both games are slated to begin at 7 p.m. at John J. Lee Amphitheater.

  6. W. BASKETBALL | Elis look for Brown sweep

    Leave a Comment

    Last Friday, the women’s basketball team rode guard Janna Graf’s ’14 career-high 26 points to its first Ivy League victory, over Brown. This Friday, the two teams will meet again on the Bears’ court, as the Bulldogs will look to sweep the season series against their Ancient Eight rival.

    [ydn-legacy-photo-inline id=”5191″ ]

    “They’re a very unique team, and so to have played them once is an advantage because I think we understand them a little bit better now,” head coach Chris Gobrecht said. “I think they definitely caught us off guard somewhat, but it’s their home court, they’re a good team [and] they’re motivated by being the ones that lost. We’ve been in their shoes, so we know how fired up you get when you get beat the first time.”

    Though the Bears (4–11, 0–1 Ivy) held a three-point lead at halftime in last week’s game, the Bulldogs (5–10, 1–0) rallied in the second half and used an 18-3 run to permanently seize the lead and control of the game. As a result, the Elis emerged with a 66–54 victory, their first league win of the season.

    Along with Graf’s career night, forward Mady Gobrecht ’11 also had a strong performance, scoring 11 points and grabbing a career-high 14 rebounds to earn her second double-double of the season for the Bulldogs.

    Still, if the Elis are to come out on top for the second week in a row, they will have to defeat the Bears on the road.

    “We know how hard they’re going to play. My bigger worry, being in their gym, is that they’ll feel more comfortable and they’ll shoot the ball a little more confidently,” Gobrecht said. “It’ll be interesting to see how much everyone’s game raises up another level. We just have to be sure our game does raise up another level, because it will need to.”

    This is the first time in two years that Yale has been poised to sweep Brown. The Bulldogs have lost their first game against Brown in the past two seasons while winning their second meeting. Still, Gobrecht acknowledged that winning back-to-back games against the Bears will not be easy.

    “I think it’s a huge challenge to sweep a team of their quality,” Gobrecht said. “I think the team really understands that this is going to be a big test for us, and we’re going to have to really go up there and be ready to play.”

    Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Pizzitola Sports Center in Providence, R.I.

  7. W. BASKETBALL | Bulldogs’ second-half run defeats Bears

    Leave a Comment

    Friday night was a battle of underclassmen, as guard Janna Graf ’14 and Brown sophomore guard Sheila Dixon traded basket after basket.

    Graf and the Bulldogs ultimately came out on top, as the women’s basketball opened Ivy League play with a 66–54 win over the Bears at John J. Lee Amphitheater.

    Despite struggling to knock down shots in the first half, the Bulldogs (5–10, 1–0 Ivy) rallied and used a second-half offensive surge to dismantle the Bears (4-11, 0-1).

    [ydn-legacy-photo-inline id=”5252″ ]

    [ydn-legacy-photo-inline id=”5251″ ]

    Graf carried most of the offensive load for the Bulldogs and scored a career-high 26 points to lead all scorers. The six-foot freshman hit 10 of 17 shots from the field in the contest, including six of 12 shots from beyond the arc, enough to win both Ivy League Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week honors.

    “I think it was just a good shooting night,” Graf said. “I really have to compliment my teammates because they did a great job of finding me and setting screens and getting me open. It wouldn’t have happened without them.”

    Forward Mady Gobrecht ’11 also had a good night, scoring 11 points and grabbing a career-high 14 rebounds en route to her second double-double of the season. Guard Aarica West ’13 added eight points, seven boards and six assists.

    Dixon led Brown with 21 points and four rebounds. Forward Aileen Daniels also pulled down seven boards and netted 10 points for the Bears.

    Though Brown opened the game by taking an early 6–2 lead over the first three minutes, Yale stayed within striking distance for the entire first half. A three-pointer by guard Allie Messimer ’13 knotted the contest at 8–8 with 13:37 left in the half.

    A basket from Graf at 8:59 gave the Elis a slim 13–12 lead, but the Bears responded by going on a 7–0 run to take a 19–13 edge.

    Graf brought the Bulldogs within a point with a minute left in the first half, but Dixon pushed Brown’s lead to 25–22 by scoring one last layup before halftime. But the lead was short-lived, as Yale came out of the locker room and immediately erased the deficit with a three-pointer from West to tie the game at 25–25.

    “I think we were struggling with our shots in the first half, but we still stayed solid on defense, and in the second half when our shots started going in more we kind of rattled them, so were able to pick up our play a little more,” Graf said.

    Though Brown led 31–27 with 15:39 left on the clock, the Bulldogs battled back to take a 33–31 lead after guard Megan Vasquez ’13 and Messimer hit back-to-back three-pointers. The Bulldogs sank 7 of 15 second-half shots from downtown, four of which belonged to Graf.

    “Janna is a really good player,” head coach Chris Gobrecht said. “They were giving her looks. Janna just never stops moving. She’s tough to ever get a read on because you can never find her. That’s the beauty of her game.”

    The Elis used three shots from beyond the arc to fuel an 18–3 run that gave them a 54–42 lead with 6:50 left in regulation. After that, the Bears were unable to overcome the deficit, and the Bulldogs were able to pull away with their first Ancient Eight victory of the season.

    “This is a huge win for us,” Graf said. “We were starting at 0–0, and now we’re 1–0, and I think this is really going to start our momentum for the Ivy League.”

    Yale will face Brown again Friday night as part of their home-and-home series. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Pizzitola Sports Center in Providence.

  8. W. BASKETBALL | Vasquez adds power to Bulldog lineup

    Leave a Comment

    Megan Vasquez ’13 first stepped onto a basketball court when she was in third grade. By seventh grade, the 12-year-old was already getting mail from colleges who wanted to recruit her.

    And the mail kept coming during her four years at Sanford H. Calhoun High School in her hometown of Merrick, N.Y. Vasquez captained the basketball team there for four years and was the first player in school history to break the 2,000 career point mark with 2,077 points. For her achievements on the court, her school honored her by retiring her number 10, the first time any Calhoun athlete’s number had been retired.

    [ydn-legacy-photo-inline id=”5308″ ]

    [ydn-legacy-photo-inline id=”5309″ ]

    “It was a complete surprise,” Vasquez said. “The principal of my school was supposed to be giving a speech about me surpassing the 2,000th point mark before our last home game, but during his speech he announced the retiring of my jersey. Knowing that all my peers thought so highly of me was one of the best feelings.”

    Though Vasquez now wears number 15 instead of number 10, her prowess on the basketball court has not changed. As a starting guard on the women’s basketball team, she has been an impact player since arriving at Yale last year.

    “We knew that Megan was going to help us right off the bat,” head coach Chris Gobrecht said. “She’s very skilled. She’s great for our transition game because of her ability to both handle the ball and make the down-court pass. She definitely gives us a different dimension.”

    When the time came to choose a college to play for, Vasquez felt most comfortable at Yale, where she had been watching basketball games since her junior year in high school.

    “Yale was the perfect fit for me,” Vasquez said. “It was a chance to get an unparalleled education and play Division I basketball in a league that was growing in competitiveness. When I visited the school I loved everything about it, especially the team dynamic.”

    Vasquez’s interest in Yale came as exciting news to Gobrecht, who saw her as a player that would allow the team to better compete against bigger teams.

    “When I first got to Yale, our guards were all undersized,” Gobrecht said. “We’re often undersized, still, but Megan’s not. [She’s given] us a big-time body that would allow us to go up against some of the bigger guards … and allow us to compete at a national level.”

    As a freshman, Vasquez averaged a team-high 11.5 points per game and 2.3 assists per game. She also led the team in steals, tallying 41. Her play added up to Vasquez being named a unanimous selection to the All-Ivy Rookie Team.

    Vasquez’s efforts helped the Bulldogs finish in fourth place in the Ivy League last season with an 8–6 record, its best final league standing since the 1997-98 season.

    This year, she continues to be the team’s most prolific scorer and is averaging 13.6 points per game. And since she is still only a sophomore, Gobrecht said Vasquez still has time to grow and develop into an even stronger player.

    “She’s just going to keep getting better and better every year, just as I think she’s going to keep getting better and better as this year progresses,” Gobrecht said. “She’s had some great games, and what she’s after now is the consistency of being there every night for her team. That’s what she’s learning how to do.”

    With Ivy League competition set to open this Friday against Brown, Vasquez and the team now have their eyes set on making a run at an Ivy League Championship. The Bulldogs last won the crown in 1979, which is the only title in the program’s 37-year history.

    “We haven’t won [the championship] in over 30 years and I feel like we all have the talent and the heart to make that happen,” Vasquez said. “Our team is fully prepared. We have had a lot of ups and downs, which has helped us mature in the first three months of our season. We are ready to take the Ivy League by storm.”

  9. W. BASKETBALL | Bulldogs fall in last non-conference game

    Leave a Comment

    The women’s basketball team was handed its first defeat of 2011 on Sunday when it fell 63-56 on the road to Army, its final non-conference game of the season.

    Despite staying competitive with the Black Knights (7-8) for much of the first half, the Bulldogs (4-10) could not sink all the shots they needed for a second-half comeback, allowing Army to come away with the win at Christl Arena.

    [ydn-legacy-photo-inline id=”5314″ ]

    [ydn-legacy-photo-inline id=”5316″ ]

    The Elis had a lackluster shooting performance and went 21for60 (35 percent) from the field in the contest.

    “We definitely did not play well,” guard Allie Messimer ‘13 said. “It wasn’t that we couldn’t do it physically, and mentally we’re all there and all together.It’s really a focus thing.”

    Injuries were also a factor in the game. The Elis were without starting forward Michelle Cashen ’12, who was out with a sprained ankle. But freshman forward Janna Graf ’14 started in her place and scored a team-high 17 points while also grabbing six boards. Forward Mady Gobrecht ’11 also added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Bulldogs.

    The Black Knights were led by forward Erin Anthony, who finished the game with a double-double, scoring 21 points and tallying 14 rebounds. Anthony also added six blocks.

    The game was close for most of the first half as both teams traded leads for the first 12 minutes of the contest. The Bulldogs took anarrow 18-17 lead following a basket from forward Alicia Seelaus ‘13 with 8:05 remaining in the half.

    But the Elis were unable to hold onto that lead, as the Black Knights outscored the Bulldogs 13-4 over the last eight minutes of the first half to take an eight-point lead at halftime.

    “They were playing very good defense, so we were struggling offensively,” Messimer said.

    Still, Yale came out of the locker room strong and cut Army’s lead to 30-27 following a jumper from Graf and a three-point play from Aarica West ’13.

    But the Black Knights responded by going on a 7-2 run over the next three minutes to once again take an eight-point lead. A shot from beyond the arc from Army forward Laura Baranek with 16:01 left on the clock gave the Black Knights a 37-29 advantage.

    Gobrecht brought the Bulldogs within four points after she hit a pair of shots from the charity stripe and then followed it up with a steal and a three-pointer that cut Army’s lead to 53-49 with 5:13 left in regulation.

    But the Black Knights dashed the Elis’ hopes for a comeback after Anthony sank two free throws and guard Nalini Hawkins scored a layup to reestablish Army’s eight-point lead with 1:28 left on the clock. After that, the Bulldogs were unable to overcome the deficit, and the Black Knights emerged with the win.

    With the end of the non-conference portion of the team’s schedule, the Elis will now turn their attention to the beginning of league play, which starts this Friday when the Bulldogs host Brown.

    “I think that we’re going to be ready,” Messimer said. “We have a week of practice where we really need to fix a couple of things. I think this is definitely a wake-up call that showed us what we need to do to win, and that we can’t just step off a bus and not be ready to play.”

    Tip-off against Brown is slated for 7 p.m. at John J. Lee Amphitheater.

  10. W. BASKETBALL | Elis’ struggles continue

    Leave a Comment

    Subpar shooting foiled the women’s basketball team’s attempt to snap a five-game losing streak Monday night. A Yale team that shot just 33.3 percent from the field dropped its sixth consecutive game after Fairleigh Dickinson handed them a tough 59–57 loss in a game that came down to the wire at the John J. Lee Amphitheater.

    [ydn-legacy-photo-inline id=”5368″ ]

    Despite trailing the Knights (4–4) by a double-digit margin in the second half, the Bulldogs (1–6) rallied to get back into the game. In the end, though, their comeback came up just short, as the Bulldogs committed a last-minute turnover and could not get a last-second shot off.

    The Bulldogs were once again without starting guards Megan Vasquez ’13 and Yoyo Greenfield ’11 and forward Ericka von Kaeppler ’13, who were all still not cleared to play after colliding in practice last week.

    “They were a team that was very hungry for a win,” head coach Chris Gobrecht said. “They smelled blood, they saw a wounded animal and they went into a feeding frenzy.”

    Forward Mady Gobrecht ’11 recorded a double-double in the contest and ended the night with 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Janna Graf ’14 added 10 points for the Bulldogs, while guard and forward Alex Osborn-Jones ’14 tallied seven points in her collegiate debut.

    “I think today was a really good way to show how everybody can contribute,” guard Allie Messimer ’13 said. “I think it was a good chance for everybody to step up and show what they can do.”

    The Knights’ Jasmyra Saunders led all scorers with 16 points. Mariyah Laury also chipped in with 13 points and four steals for FDU.

    Yale started the first half by taking an early 8–4 lead after Graf hit a shot from beyond the arc at 16:40. Six minutes later a field goal from forward Alicia Seelaus ’13 put the Elis up 17–9.

    But the Bulldogs saw their lead diminish as FDU outscored the Bulldogs 14-2 over the last four and half minutes of the half. A layup from Laury with 2:03 left in the first half tied the game at 24–24, and a 3-pointer from Amy Longo gave the Knights a 27–24 lead. FDU also scored three straight layups in the final 50 seconds to push their lead to eight points and take a 33–25 edge into the locker room.

    “I think we had a couple of breakdowns in a row, and we let their intensity get to us and affect us too much,” Messimer said. “They just had a really quick run and we got down and didn’t recover too well from it until the second half.“

    The Bulldogs opened up the second half by cutting the deficit to four points following a jumper from Janna Graf and two free throws from Mady Gobrecht.

    But the Knights fought back, pushing their lead to 15 after Esther Wallace sank a shot that made the score 54–39 with 9:16 left in regulation.

    Still, the Bulldogs found a way to claw back into the game. A layup from Michelle Cashen ’12 and a 3-pointer from Aarica West ’13 reduced FDU’s lead to five points with 3:07 left to play. Another layup from Cashen pulled the Bulldogs within one point with 1:24 on the clock.

    After Knight guard and forward Alannah Driscoll-Sbar missed a jumper, Yale grabbed the rebound, but promptly turned the ball over. Laury took possession of the ball and was quickly fouled by the Bulldogs and sent to the line to shoot free throws. Laury hit one of two shots from the charity stripe to give FDU a slim 59–57 lead.

    The Elis had one last possession with 14.2 seconds left, but they were not able to get a shot off before the buzzer sounded, and the Knights were able to emerge with the win.

    “We turned the ball over too many times in the last minute of the game,” coach Gobrecht said. “We’ve got people that have got to play better. There’s no excuse for not playing as well as they’re capable of playing.”

    Yale will try to break its losing streak tonight at home against Sacred Heart at 7 p.m.

  11. W. BASKETBALL | Rough second half for Elis

    Leave a Comment

    A shorthanded women’s basketball team was unable to snap its four-game skid after falling 74–62 to Providence College (4–4) in a nonconference matchup Wednesday night at Alumni Hall in Providence.

    After keeping pace in the first half with the Friars, Providence went on a 19–1 run at the beginning of the second half to pull away with the victory.

    [ydn-legacy-photo-inline id=”5408″ ]

    [ydn-legacy-photo-inline el_id=”23865″ ]

    The struggling Bulldogs (1–5) had to deal with the absences of their starting guards Megan Vasquez ’13 and Yoyo Greenfield ’11, who were kept out of the lineup as a precautionary measure after they collided and hit their heads during practice Tuesday. Guards Allie Messimer ’13 and Aarica West ’13 started in their places.

    “I think everybody definitely felt a little bit of pressure, but we handled it really well,” Messimer said. “We were a little more nervous than usual, but everyone ended up doing well and ended up okay.”

    Despite being down two starters, the Bulldogs received at least one point from every player that stepped onto the court. Messimer and forward Michelle Cashen ’12 led the Elis with 12 points each, while forward Mady Gobrecht ’11 added nine. Cashen also recorded seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.

    “I thought the bench people stepped up and did a very good job,” head coach Chris Gobrecht said. “It’s frustrating not to get the win, but we’re dealing with a situation where we have played game, after game, after game that we have yet to be favored in.”

    Though the Elis hit 15 of 30 field goals in the first half, they cooled down after halftime and shot nine-of-31 from the field. The Bulldogs were outrebounded 52-36 by the Friars in the contest, making it the fifth time that the Elis have lost the battle of the boards.

    Providence’s Symone Roberts and Miranda Tate tied for the game-high point total with 18 points each. Mi-Khida Hankins was also strong for the Friars and tallied nine rebounds and five blocks.

    Though the Friars outscored Yale 13-4 in the first five minutes of play, the Bulldogs battled back and went on a 6-0 run to cut Providence’s lead to 13–10 with 12:57 left in the first half.

    The Friars built a 10-point lead following a layup from Roberts that put Providence up 24–14 with 8:11 left on the clock.

    A shot from downtown from Ericka von Kaeppler ’13 kept the Bulldogs close and decreased Providence’s lead to a 27–22 advantage. The Elis hit nine of 18 shots from 3-point range in the game.

    “We have a lot of great shooters, so we’re just kind of expected to be making those shots,” Messimer said.

    The Bulldogs continued to chip away at the Friars’ lead and cut their lead down to 33–32 following an 8-2 run that was fueled by three layups from Cashen and one from Mady Gobrecht with 2:25 left in the half. Cashen scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half.

    The Friars’ Chandler McCabe then successfully converted a 3-point play that gave Providence a 36–32 edge.

    A layup from center Zenab Keita ’14 cut Yale’s deficit down to two points with 58 seconds left on the clock, but Miranda Tate sank a jumper and Lola Wells added a pair of free throws to give the Friars a 40–34 lead at halftime.

    Messimer opened up the second half by hitting a 3-pointer that cut Providence’s lead to 40–37. But after that, it was all Providence.

    Providence outscored the Elis 19-1 over the next seven minutes to take a 59–38 lead with 12:44 left in regulation. It was the Friars’ largest lead of the night.

    “I think that their lead definitely came from what they were doing and not necessarily our offense,” Messimer said. “[It was] more so of our defense that cooled off a little bit. Offense comes with defense.”

    However, Yale rallied to reduce the deficit. A free throw from Mady Gobrecht made the score 67–59 and pulled the Bulldogs within eight points with 4:30 left on the clock, but that turned out to be the closest the Elis would get for the remainder of the game, as Providence was able to maintain their lead and hand Yale their fifth straight loss.

    “We don’t have a single trip where we can afford to give anything less than our best,” coach Gobrecht said. “You have to be on your best every single trip, and that’s a tall order. We’re just going to keep getting better. For the most part we’re not fine with losing, but I’m not concerned about us. We’re going to be okay.”