Men’s Basketball Set to Open Ivy League Play at Yale On Saturday

Saturday, January 11

New Haven, Ct.

12 p.m.

Brown University

Yale

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Men’s Basketball Set to Open Ivy League Play at Yale On Saturday

1/10/2025 11:10:00 AM | Men's Basketball

ESPNU Live Stats Varsity Network Tickets Game Notes

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Brown men's basketball team (8-5) will open Ivy League play on Saturday at Yale (7-6) at the John J. Lee Amphitheater, tip-off is set for 12:00 p.m.

Scott Cordischi and Russ Tyler '71 will bring you the action live on the Brown Varsity Network, fans can access the Brown Varsity Network via the Brown Bears app, Varsity Network app, or BrownBears.com. The game will also be broadcast live on ESPNU.

Last Time Out
Brown concluded non-conference play with a convincing 98-57 win over Johnson & Wales (Jan. 5). Kino Lilly Jr. led the way offensively for the Bears with 16 points on 6-14 shooting from the field. N'famara Dabo recorded his first-career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Alexander Lesburt Jr. also scored in double figures with 11 points on 4-7 shooting from the field and 3-6 shooting from three-point range.

History Made, The Chase Continues
Kino Lilly Jr. is now the all-time leader in program history with 290 three-pointers made. Lilly Jr. also sits third all-time in career points with 1,558, he is 11 points away from being second all-time.

Lilly Jr. ranks third in Ivy League history in three-pointers made, he is 10 three-pointers away from being the third player in Ivy League history to reach the 300 triples mark.

Ivy Iverson
Kino Lilly Jr. is averaging 19.4 points on 42.3 shooting from the field and 41.7 shooting from three-point range this season. The senior is averaging 3.85 three-pointers per game and is on pace to hit 107 triples, which would break Brown's single-season record of 93 set by Sean McGonagill during the 2013-14 season, Lilly Jr. hit 90 triples during the 2023- 24 campaign.

Lilly Jr'.s pace would put him second in Ivy League history for most three-pointers made in a single-season behind Ryan Wittman of Cornell who hit 109 during the 2009-10 season.

Lilly Jr's 3.85 three-pointers ranks fourth in the nation, his 50 total three-pointers made sits 13th nationally.The senior has 61 double-digit scoring efforts and 35 20-point games as a Bear.

Cooley Continues To Impress
Aaron Cooley is averaging 11.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, the senior has double-figure scoring efforts in nine out of 13 games and has three double-doubles. Cooley scored a career-high 19 points in Brown's 84-80 double overtime win over Rhode Island (Dec. 10), he also had a career-high four blocks against the Rams.

Cooley also had a career-high 15 rebounds in Brown's season opener at Siena (Nov. 4). Cooley's 15 rebounds is the second-most by an Ivy League player this season; he's recorded double-digit rebounds in four games.

Cooley is shooting 46.7 percent from the floor this season and leads the Ivy League with 5.31 defensive rebounds per contest and is second in the Ivy League with 7.0 boards per game.

Lewis' Leap
In the absence of Nana Owusu-Anane, Landon Lewis has scored in double figures in 11 out of 12 games this season. Lewis netted a career-high 21 points in Brown's win over Bryant (Dec. 6) on 9-12 shooting from the floor.

Lewis recorded his first career double-double in Brown's win over Sacred Heart (Nov. 17) with 14 points and 11 rebounds, he backed up that effort with 17 points (8-11) shooting at Canisius (Nov. 23).

Lewis' 3.0 offensive boards per game ranks first in the Ivy League, his 6.9 rebounds per game is fifth in the Ivy League. Lewis' 61.9 field goal percentage ranks 17th in the nation. The Los Angeles, Calif. native is averaging 14.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest this season.

On the defensive end, Lewis has recorded four or more blocks on three separate occasions, Lewis' 1.75 blocks per game ranks 52nd in the nation and his 21 total blocks ranks third in the Ivy League.

Non-Conference Recap
Brown finished non-conference play with an 8-5 record, it was the ninth time Brown has finished non-conference play with a winning record under Mike Martin '04, the Bears' 8-5 record was the best non-conference record under Martin '04.

Brown's six-game winning streak was the second time under Mike Martin '04 that the Bears have won six consecutive games and the second time in as many seasons, Brown ended the 2023-24 regular season on a six-game winning streak.

This winning streak also matched the longest non-conference winning streak under Martin '04 (2018-19), this is the longest non-conference winning streak against D1 opponents. Brown's six-game non-conference winning streak during the 2018-19 season featured a win over Salve Regina (D3).

Brown's 7-3 record through the first 10 games of the season was the best 10-game start under Martin '04 and the best 10- game start since the 2001-02 season. After starting 1-3, Brown rattled off six consecutive wins to move to 7-3 ahead of its games against top-10 opponents Kansas and Kentucky.

On Dec. 10, Brown knocked off previously unbeaten Rhode Island (9-0), 84-80 in double overtime at the Pizzitola Sports Center (Dec. 10) for its then sixth consecutive win.

Two out of the six wins came against the class of the America East in Vermont (Dec. 3) and Bryant (Dec. 6), both wins were on the road and both teams beat the Bears during the 2023- 24 season.

Vermont has won the America East in five out of the last six seasons, including three in a row. The Catamounts' loss to the Bears snapped their 14-game home winning streak and they suffered just their third loss at Patrick Gymnasium in the last three seasons.

In-state rival Bryant was picked third in the America East, Brown's win at Bryant featured 26 lead changes and Kino Lilly Jr.'s go-ahead three-pointer with 2.2 second left gave the Bears a 76-75 win.

The Emergence Of Dabo
N'famara Dabo enjoyed a career-best 12 points and 10 rebounds in Brown's non-conference finale win over Johnson & Wales (Jan. 5).

Dabo's first-career double-double also came in his first- career start, over the last five games Dabo is shooting 12-19 from the floor and is averaging 6.4 rebounds per game. Dabo is averaging 2.2 blocks per game during this five-game stretch, he recorded nine blocks in a three-game stretch against Bryant, Rhode Island, and Kansas.

Block Party
Brown ranks 24th in the nation and first in the Ivy League with 5.3 blocks per game, the Bears have accumulated at least five blocks in seven out of 13 games this season. Brown recorded a season-high 11 blocks against Rhode Island (Dec. 10).

The Bears have two players who have recorded at least five blocks in a game this season: N'famara Dabo (Nov. 15) and Landon Lewis (Nov. 16). Lewis and Dabo have recorded three or more blocks in three games this season.

Dabo ranks second in the Ivy League in blocks per game with 1.82, Lewis ranks third in the Ivy League with 1.80 blocks per game. Brown has four out of the top five games in total blocks by an Ivy League team this season, highlighted by its 11 rejections against Rhode Island.

Defensive Prowess
The Bears rank second in the Ivy League in scoring defense (70.2), they also rank third in the Ivy League in opponent field goal percentage (42.4%). Brown's three-point percentage defense ranks second in the Ivy League (32.2%), the Bears have also allowed the least amount of three-point field goals in the Ivy League.

In its win over Vermont, the Bears held the Catamounts to just six points in the final 8:18 of the contest.

Brown held Stony Brook to just one three-pointer made (1-16), the fewest since the Bears allowed one triple against Colorado (Nov. 22, 2021).

Brown is averaging 5.3 blocks per game and 6.3 steals per game.

Brown has four out of the top five games in total blocks by an Ivy League team this season, highlighted by its 11 rejections against Rhode Island. The Bears' 11 blocks against Rhode Island (Dec. 10) is the most blocks by an Ivy League team this season, followed by their nine blocks at Siena (Nov. 4), their eight blocks against New Hampshire (Nov. 15) and their seven blocks against Holy Cross (Nov. 16).

Landon Lewis (Holy Cross) and N'famara Dabo's (New Hampshire) five blocks are the second-most in a single game by an Ivy League player this season. Lewis' four blocks (at Siena & Rhode Island ) along with Aaron Cooley's four blocks (Rhode Island) are the second-most blocks by an Ivy League player this season.

Against Rhode Island, Brown had three players (Cooley, Lewis, Dabo) have at least three blocks and five players (Lewis, Jenkins, Lilly Jr., Erold, Dabo) have at least two steals. Cooley and Jenkins led the way with four steals each.

Brown forced a season-high 21 turnovers against Rhode Island.

Sharing The Wealth
Brown tallied 27 assists on 31 made field goals in its 89-70 win over Sacred Heart. The Bears also accumulated 27 assists on 37 made field goals in their non-conference finale against Johnson & Wales.

The Bears' 27 assists was the most since they recorded 26 assists in an 88-42 win against Lyndon State (Jan. 12, 2015). Brown has had double-digit assists in 11 out of 13 games this season and 20 or more assists four times.

Brown also had 20 assists in its win over Stony Brook and had 14 assists on 17 made field goals in the first half against the Seawolves. The Bears also had 20 assists on 32 made field goals in their win over Rhode Island, Kino Lilly Jr. matched a career-high with 10 assists in the win.

As a team, Brown is averaging 15.2 assists per contest this season.

Providence Three Party
The Bears have hit at least five three-pointers in all 13 games this season and have hit double-digit triples in four out of 13 games.

Brown's 15 three-pointers against Sacred Heart was the most since they hit 16 against Dartmouth (Mar. 2, 2024), this is the only time Brown has connected on at least 15 three-pointers since the 2008-09 season.

Since the 2015-16 season, Brown has hit 15 triples on five separate occasions. The Bears hit 14 three-pointers in their non-conference finale against Johnson & Wales. In its three wins over Sacred Heart, Canisius, and Stony Brook, Brown shot a combined 37-88 (42.0%) during that three-game stretch.

Brown shot 6-15 from distance in its win at Bryant, including 4-5 in the second half. Kino Lilly Jr. shot a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc in the second half against the Bulldogs.

Scouting Yale (7-6)
Yale welcomes Brown with a 4-0 record at home this season, Riley Fox was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week on Monday after scoring 11 points in the Bulldogs' 93-65 win over Howard in their non-conference finale.

John Poulakidas leads the Ivy League with 20.7 points per game; he is one of three Bulldogs averaging double figures. Nick Townsend (13.4) and Bez Mbeng (11.0) are the other two Bulldogs averaging double figures.

What's Next
Brown will return home to welcome Harvard on Saturday, Jan. 18, tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. at the Pizzitola Sports Center. Fans can purchase tickets here.

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