Brown Opens Ivy League Season At Yale
Providence, Rhode Island - While most conferences have a post-season tournament to crown its champion, the Ivy League boasts a 14-game regular season playoff, covering eight weeks, to determine its champion and NCAA Tournament qualifier. For Brown, it all starts Friday evening, January 15 in New Haven, as the Bears travel to Yale for the Ivy League opener at Lee Amphitheater, beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Brown (6-11) concluded its non-league schedule with an 88-75 loss
at Quinnipiac. Bears’ freshman forward Tucker Halpern scored
a career high 26 points, connecting on 6 of 13 treys, while junior
forward Peter Sullivan added 20 points.
The 26 points scored by freshman Tucker Halpern are the most points
scored by a Brown first year player since Earl Hunt ‘03
registered 27 points against Dartmouth on 2/19/00. Jason Forte
‘04 scored 25 points as a freshman against Harvard on 2/1/02,
while Mark MacDonald ’08 netted 25 points as a freshman vs.
New Hampshire on 12/8/04.
Yale (6-11) is coming off a 79-48 victory at home over NJIT to
wrap-up its non-league schedule.
Senior center and tri-captain Matt Mullery, Brown's leader in
scoring, rebounding, assists and blocked shots, injured his ankle
four minutes into the Army game and did not return. He didn’t
play Monday against Quinnipiac, and status is uncertain for
Friday’s game against Yale. Mullery recently became one of
Brown’s Top 25 Career Scorers with 931 career points, 24th
best in Brown basketball history.
Brown and Yale have met 143 times, dating back to the 1904-1905
season, with the Elis holding a 94-49 series advantage. This marks
the fifth straight year that Brown has opened its Ivy season
against the Bulldogs. Yale has won the last two meetings after
sweeping the Bears in 2008-2009, 70-62 in New Haven and 57-55 in
Providence. The two teams split games in each of the previous three
seasons. Brown’s last win over the Elis was a 77-68 decision
on 1/26/08.
Halpern became the third Brown rookie to earn Ivy League Rookie of
the Week honors after scoring a career high 22 points, pulling down
seven rebounds, handing out six assists and making three steals in
an overtime win over Wagner. He then came back against Army by
scoring 13 points, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out three
assists.
The Sullivan brothers, Peter Sullivan ’11 and Matt Sullivan
’13, shot a combined 12 of 12 from the free throw line
against Quinnipiac. Older brother, Peter, connected on 8 of 8 free
throws, while Matt converted 4 of 4 shots from the charity
stripe.
Brown vs. Yale, Round II, will take place next Friday evening,
January 22, in Providence, Rhode Island, as the Bears take on the
Elis at the Pizzitola Sports Center, starting at 7:00 p.m.
