A furious run in the final quarter wasn’t enough to keep Yale women’s basketball from a 76-71 defeat at home versus Brown Saturday.
Defense travels, and that was the story of the first half. Brown is the second-best Ivy defensive team, giving up just 57 points per game, and the Bears held Yale (3-12, 0-2 Ivy) to a paltry 23 first-half points.
Brown (11-4, 2-0) went on a 14-0 run to lead 20-9 at the end of the first quarter, aided by a pressing man-to-man defense and a discombobulated Yale offense. During that run, Yale junior forward Grace Thybulle committed a flagrant foul against junior guard Isabella Mauricio, which resulted in a five-point possession.
Yale went on its own 6-0 second quarter run and the Bears led by 38-23 at the half. Yale was only 9-for-30 from the field.
The visitors led 54-42 at the end of the third quarter and opened up a 71-50 lead at 4:17 of the last frame on a three-pointer from sophomore guard Grace Arnolie.
Yale then upped its pressure and went on its run, keyed by eight points from senior guard Jenna Clark, but fell short. Clark finished with a team-high 17 points.
“Yale is a real experienced ball club,” Brown coach Monique LeBlanc said. “They knew that they had to up their intensity.”
“Our no-quit attitude has been fantastic throughout the season,” Yale coach Dalila Eshe said. “Just being able to have that fight in us is huge.”
Yale outrebounded Brown 38-24. Yale junior guard Mackenzie Egger grabbed a game-high 10 boards. Despite their struggles this season, the Bulldogs rank second in the Ivy League in offensive rebounding.
Yale may have to rely on its offensive rebounding prowess, “no-quit attitude” and more as it faces Columbia Monday at 2 p.m. Brown hosts Harvard Monday at 3 p.m.
Excellent story