Yale defeated Howard on Wednesday evening in a dynamic 86-78 overtime affair. Yale went into halftime with a 36-31 lead, but Howard fought back to tie things up at the end of regulation. The Bison could not finish the job though, as they were outscored 15-7 in overtime.
Yale’s win was spearheaded by a balanced scoring effort. John Poulakidas led the scoring with 23 points, while Matt Knowling and Bez Mbeng added 14 points each. The transition game was a big factor in the Bulldogs’ success, as 20 of the team’s points came on the fast break. Efficiency metrics evaluated the offense at an average of 1.24 points scored per possession on 51% true shooting.
Offense was not the issue for the Bison. They scored their 78 points on 47% shooting from the field. Marcus Dockery led the way, putting up 21 points. Howard’s impressive shooting from the field did not seem to translate to free throws, though, as they converted just 16-of-28 at the stripe.
KEY METRICS
- Yale’s bench outscored HU’s bench 23 to 5
- The game pace (possessions per 40 minutes) of 62.1 was a season-low for Howard
- The teams combined to hit 16 threes
Yale is now 9-6 thanks to the win. A battle with Ivy League foe Brown is the Bulldogs’ next test. They will meet on Jan. 9 at the Pizzitola Sports Center. HU’s loss is a tough result given the momentum it was riding after beating La Salle recently. The Bison will travel to McDougald-McLendon Arena for their next chance at a win, a Jan. 6 battle with North Carolina Central in their first game of MEAC conference play.
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