Brown University
12-4, 0-2Ivy
Yale
11-8, 2-0Ivy
Women's Hoops Drops Decision to Yale in Ivy Home Opener, 48-39
1/22/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Senior Jordin Alexander scored 10 points and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds as Brown University women's basketball fell to Yale University, 48-39, in its Ivy League home opener on Friday night at the Pizzitola Sports Center.
The Bears (12-4, 0-2 Ivy) pulled within three points twice inside of the last 5:01, but the visiting Bulldogs (11-8, 2-0 Ivy) made enough shots down the stretch to seal the win. Both teams scouted each other well after last weekend's meeting as each team held the other below 31-percent shooting in the game.
Alexander (Fishers, Ind.) notched double figures for the 14th time in 16 games while sophomore forward Kennedy Martin (Los Angeles, Calif.) tallied 10 points and seven rebounds, netting double digits for the third time this year.
Freshman Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) posted nine points and four rebounds, junior Rebecca Musgrove (Plainview, N.Y.) chipped in six points and four boards, and sophomore Janie White (Clarksville, Tenn.) tacked on five boards and four blocks.
Brown registered eight straight points to cut its deficit to 37-34 with 5:01 remaining. Martin started the streak with a layup before Musgrove made a leaning jumper and Mehta and Martin each connected on a pair of free throws.
A second-chance basket from Martin kept the Bears within 40-37 with 3:47 to go, but the Bulldogs held on for the win, hitting a 3-pointer to make it 45-38 with 1:26 on the clock.
The Bulldogs took a 29-22 advantage just over three minutes into the third quarter. Brown answered as Alexander hit a bank shot and Musgrove connected from 19 feet to pull Brown within 31-26. Yale gained a 35-26 edge after three quarters and pushed its lead to as large as 37-26 early in the fourth.
Holding a 7-2 lead after the first quarter, Yale pushed its edge to 16-7 with 4:43 to go in the second stanza. The Bears then scored nine straight points to tie the game at 16-16 with 57 seconds to go in the half.
Mehta started the 9-0 run with a 3-pointer just before the shot clock expired, Alexander followed with a turnaround jumper and two free throws, and Musgrove tied it with a second-chance hoop in the lane. A Mehta jumper from 17 feet put the Bears up 18-17 with 35 seconds left before the Bulldogs took a 19-18 lead into halftime.
For Yale, Whitney Wyckoff posted game highs with 14 points and 12 rebounds while Nyasha Sarju added 11 points and seven boards. The Bulldogs swept the season series after gaining an 81-54 victory in New Haven, Conn., on Jan. 16 and dealt the Bears their first loss at home on the season.
Next, Brown begins a four-game Ivy road trip with games at Princeton on Friday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. and at Penn on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m.
Tickets for all Brown women's basketball games can be purchased online, by calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or by walking up to the box office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
