Tag: Sam Downey

Ivy League Tournament Preview: #3 Yale vs. #2 Harvard

Harvard and Yale have a lot of similarities. Both are among the nation’s least experienced teams, looking nothing like the squads that played in the last Palestra playoff two years ago. Both rely on athletic, highly touted underclassmen, and their best days are still ahead of them. But as they enter the first Ivy League Tournament, the rivals are going in very different directions. Continue reading “Ivy League Tournament Preview: #3 Yale vs. #2 Harvard” →

Harvard 77, Yale 64: Bulldogs Still Searching For Answers

Yale seemed to finally have it figured out Friday night, climbing out of an early deficit to grab a three-point halftime lead that probably could have been bigger if not for some poor shot selection and turnovers toward the end. Most importantly, it held host Harvard to 0.84 points per possession, showing some of the defense that led them to the Ivy League title last season.

Alas, the second half was still to come, and streaking Harvard sent them back into the skid they came from, shooting 18-27 from the field (74.1 eFG%) and scoring 1.28 ppp en route to a fairly easy 77-64 win in front of a sellout crowd at Lavietes Pavilion.

Continue reading “Harvard 77, Yale 64: Bulldogs Still Searching For Answers” →

Harvard 75, Yale 67: Future Looks Bright For Ivy League

If you looked closely at Lee Amphitheater Saturday night, you could see into the future. And you didn’t even need a Delorean to do it.

Harvard ended Yale’s 22-game, two-year long home winning streak in impressive fashion, 75-67, before a sellout crowd that was into the game from the opening tip. The Crimson (14-7, 6-2, identical to Yale) were led by freshman Bryce Aiken with a career-high 27 points. Like most freshmen, Aiken has had some growing pains this season, but Saturday his full array of talent that ACC and Big East schools wanted was on display: shooting, getting to the rim, putting opponents on skates (as the kids say these days), even a four-point play from the corner that was huge in the Harvard victory.

Aiken, of course, is just one piece of a freshman class that includes Chris Lewis, Justin Bassey, and Seth Towns (who all started Saturday while Aiken did not). Sophomore Corey Johnson added 12 points for Harvard as well.

Continue reading “Harvard 75, Yale 67: Future Looks Bright For Ivy League” →

Ivy League Weekly Roundup: Close Finishes Shake Up Standings

Last Week in the Ivy League: Yale survived a scare from its travel partner, while Columbia wasn’t so lucky. Harvard kept rolling with a strong second half. The Bulldogs have strong opinions about Russell Westbrook. I joined Ivy Hoops Online’s podcast. Continue reading “Ivy League Weekly Roundup: Close Finishes Shake Up Standings” →

Yale 68, Penn 60: Shooting The Ball Still Important

Penn, as it has done for most of the season, battled hard Friday night against defending Ivy League champion Yale, winning a good majority of the loose balls and making the Bulldogs work for everything they got on the offensive end.

The Quakers also went more than 20 minutes without turning the ball over and had just nine for the contest.

But in the end, you only get points for putting the ball in the basket, and Penn just couldn’t do enough of it in a frustrating 68-60 loss at The Palestra.

Continue reading “Yale 68, Penn 60: Shooting The Ball Still Important” →

Yale 79, Princeton 75: Bulldogs Show Some Flaws, But No Losses

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – So here was the scene at Lee Amphitheather with four minutes left in the highly anticipated Princeton-Yale showdown Saturday.

Brandon Sherrod, who already has a remarkable backstory involving taking a year off to travel the world singing, was 8-8 from field. Impressive enough, right? But it was Sherrod’s third straight perfect game from the field, a streak that has reached 25, one short of the NCAA all-time record. Yale had led throughout (by as much as 16 early in the second half), and Princeton’s answer to make a late comeback?

Continue reading “Yale 79, Princeton 75: Bulldogs Show Some Flaws, But No Losses” →

Yale 90, Brown 66: Some Week For The Sherrod Family

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Justin Sears missed a dunk and then picked up his second foul midway through the first half Friday night against Brown, which seemed to spell trouble for Yale. A couple of minutes later when Cedric Kuakumensah stepped out and hit a three, the game was tied, and visions of the only other Division I game Sears missed this season were surely dancing in many people’s head. Continue reading “Yale 90, Brown 66: Some Week For The Sherrod Family” →

Yale 83, NJIT 65: Bulldogs Continue To Thrash Opponents

(photo courtesy: NJIT athletics)

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Jack Montague finished 1-14 from the field, Justin Sears was held to just 13 points, and Brandon Sherrod was limited to just 15 minutes due to foul trouble … and Yale scored 1.30 points per possession is dismantling NJIT 83-65 at Lee Amphitheater Wednesday night.

Be afraid, Ivy League?

Yale is only 8-5, which might even be a tick behind its lofty preseason expectations, but (as Kevin Whitaker pointed out as well), when the Bulldogs find a weakness in an opponent, they are cold-hearted in their exploitation and lack of compassion.

Continue reading “Yale 83, NJIT 65: Bulldogs Continue To Thrash Opponents” →