LOWELL, Mass. – A strong defensive start proved critical for the Yale women's basketball team Thursday night at Costello Athletic Center, as the Bulldogs limited UMass Lowell to 26.7% shooting in the first quarter en route to grabbing a 22-9 lead. Yale was eventually able to get that lead up to 25, so that even when the River Hawks stormed back in the fourth quarter they did not get within single digits of the Bulldogs until the final 10 seconds. Led by 18 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks from sophomore forward
Camilla Emsbo, Yale came away with a 67-59 win to start a two-game trip to the Bay State.
"Any time you can win on the road it's a positive thing," said
Allison Guth, Yale's Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of Women's Basketball. "We took a step forward with playing in our pack line defense and in sharing the ball with 14 assists, and any time you can do that it's also a positive thing."
Sophomore guard
Robin Gallagher capped the first quarter off with a buzzer-beating three pointer to get Yale's lead to 13. The lead grew as big as 20 in the second quarter before a late UML run got the River Hawks within 11 at halftime.
Yale (2-1, 0-0 Ivy League) began the third quarter with an 18-4 run that was bookended by three-pointers from junior guard
Tori Andrew. With 11 points, she wound up being one of four Bulldogs in double digits for the night, joining Emsbo, junior guard
Ellen Margaret Andrews (14) and senior guard
Roxy Barahman (10).
UMass Lowell (0-5, 0-0 America East) rallied to outscore Yale 22-10 in the fourth but could not overcome the deficit. The Bulldogs worked 13 players into the game -- including first-year forward
Ayla Elam, who grabbed a rebound in her varsity debut.
"I was really pleased with the way our starting lineup attacked the game in terms of their defense," said Guth. "They set the tone for the game, and gave us the chance to get some of those who are working hard in practice into the game. Camilla started 7-for-8 and added five blocks. Ellen Margaret's defense was amazing."
Barahman led Yale in assists with five, while Gallagher added four. Andrews had three steals.
The Bulldogs play at Northeastern Saturday at 1:00 p.m. before heading west for three games in California.
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