MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – On Saturday afternoon at Minnesota's Williams Arena, the Yale men's basketball team once again took a Big 10 team down to the wire on the road. The Bulldogs – who had nearly knocked off then-No. 13 Purdue in Indiana five days ago – were tied with the Gophers 50-50 with 4:28 to play. But Minnesota withstood a pair of late three-pointers by John Poulakidas, who finished with 21 points, and held on for a 59-56 win. Yale falls to 2-3 overall, while Minnesota improves to 3-1.
 
Statistical Leaders

• John Poulakidas shot .571 from three-point territory (4-for-7) en route to a team-best 21 points. He was perfect (5-for-5) from the free throw line.
• Isaac Celiscar led the Bulldogs on the boards, grabbing seven rebounds. He added 11 points.
• Nick Townsend led Yale with six assists. He committed just two turnovers.
• Samson Aletan had a team-best four blocks, adding five rebounds.

Turning Point

• A 9-0 run by Minnesota early in the second half trimmed a 32-21 Yale lead to a 32-30 Yale lead. The Bulldogs would get the lead back up to six but never more than that, and the Gophers eventually broke through to take a 39-38 lead with 11:45 to play. 

Key Stats

• Yale had a 37-34 advantage in rebounding. The Bulldogs have been outrebounded just once in their first five games.
• Yale led by as many as 14 points. The Bulldogs trailed 7-2 before going on an extended 23-4 run that put them up 25-11 at the 3:06 mark of the first half.
• The Bulldogs hit nine of 12 free throws, the second time this season they have shot .750 or better from the charity stripe.
• The Bulldogs had five players finish in double digits. That is the second time they have achieved that feat in the last three games.
• Yale's first six baskets came from six different players.

Game Notes

• John Poulakidas wound up two points shy of his season high (23 points at Purdue). He has reached the 20 point mark three times in the last four games.
• A crowd of 8,205 was on hand for the game, marking the second time in three games the Bulldogs have played in front of a crowd that large. The Purdue game brought out 14,876 fans. 

What's Next

• Yale visits Stony Brook Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.