FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Yale women's basketball team continues to rack up experience playing in -- and winning -- close games. On Wednesday night at Sacred Heart, the Bulldogs trailed by as many as seven in the second quarter before rallying to take the lead early in the third. After two more lead changes that quarter, the Bulldogs went into the fourth up 43-40. SHU got within one with 8:18 to play before Yale salted the game away with a 10-4 run en route to a 60-53 win.
Yale (3-0, 0-0 Ivy League) had won its first two games in overtime, by three points each time. Wednesday's game was not quite as close but was nevertheless a test of the team's fortitude. Sacred Heart (2-1, 0-0 NEC) was coming off a lopsided 71-46 win over another Ivy League school, Brown, and the Pioneers shot 8 for 16 in the first quarter to take an 18-13 lead. The Bulldogs trailed 30-27 at halftime, buoyed primarily by scoring from inside: senior forward
Alex Cade and junior forward
Camilla Emsbo combined for 23 points at the half.
"We were really special inside today," said
Allison Guth, Yale's Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of Women's Basketball. "Camilla was tremendous. She and Cade did some good things, working together."
The Bulldogs started turning the tide early in the third quarter, first by getting SHU guard Sonia Smith (six points, six assists) into foul trouble at 7:47 with her fourth of the game. Emsbo's driving layup at 7:09 gave Yale a 33-32 lead and was part of a 6-0 run.
Sacred Heart continued to battle, and neither team led by more than three the rest of the quarter. The Bulldogs got a three-pointer from senior guard
Robin Gallagher with 43 seconds left to take a 43-40 lead into the fourth.
"That was huge," said Guth. "Robin's trying to play to her strengths and is feeling confident. She knew she was open and measured that three twice. Her six rebounds were also big for us."
Sophomore guard
Jenna Clark, Yale's leading scorer heading into the game, was temporarily forced to the bench late in the third due to foul trouble -- but first-year guard
Avery Lee filled in admirably and the Bulldogs led 45-42 when Clark returned early in the fourth. They began pulling away gradually, getting the lead to seven for the first time when Clark found sophomore guard
Klara Astrom for a three-pointer with 1:31 to play.
"
Jenna Clark set the tone, with six assists and only one turnover," said Guth. "That pass to Klara [for the three-pointer] was next-level. And when we needed her,
Avery Lee steered the ship and did a great job breaking pressure."
Sacred Heart kept up the fight, and a three-pointer by guard Olivia Tucker got the Pioneers within four for the final 75 seconds. But the Bulldogs hit seven free throws down the stretch -- including two by first-year guard
Christen McCann with 12 seconds left and the Yale lead down to three -- to seal the victory.
"I couldn't say enough about Chris, being a gamer," said Guth. "The atmosphere was electric. They had a really intense student section. We needed those free throws badly. That was huge for Chris."
Emsbo finished with another double-double, her third in three games, as she had a game-high 26 points and 15 rebounds to go along with three blocks. Clark added 13 points and six assists, while Cade finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
The game also marked the Yale debut of sophomore forward
Haley Sabol, the eighth player to make her debut for Yale this season.
"
Haley Sabol did a great job when we needed to give Cade a rest," said Guth. "She got a rebound and helped maintain our defensive pressure."
The Bulldogs committed only nine turnovers and had a 48-36 advantage in rebounds, which helped them to a 17-2 edge in second-chance points.
Yale hosts Maine Friday at 6:00 p.m. at Lee Amphitheater.
