The Bulldogs looked to pull off their second win of the season against Cornell. The last showdown between the two teams went down in Ithaca, with Yale coming out on top, 66–59. The second match against Columbia, however, would prove to be a much more difficult feat. The Lions, who earlier in the year took care of the Bulldogs handily, 52–88, currently sit atop the Ivy League rankings alongside Princeton University (22–4, 12–1 Ivy). 

The first half against Cornell on Friday began with a quick gain in momentum for the Bulldogs, who immediately broke away with the lead. Nyla McGill ’25 led the team’s scoring force in the first quarter, followed by Brenna McDonald ’24 and Mackenzie Egger ’25. The Blue and White offense accounted for eighteen points in the first, which was added onto in the second by Kiley Capstraw ’26 and Jenna Clark ’24. By the end of the first half, the Bulldogs had posted 40 points to the Big Red’s 34. 

After the half, Cornell drew within one point, catching the breath of every Yale fan in John J. Lee Amphitheater. However, the Bulldogs pressed on, persevering through the pressure and continually driving to the basket. Yale never lost their hard-earned lead, thanks to timely baskets by Clark and McGill. The final score was 79–72, in favor of the Bulldogs.

Head Coach Dalila Eshe told Yale Athletics that the team knew the game would be difficult, but they were ready to compete.

“The Cornell game is always going to be a tough, physical game,” she said. “When they got within one, we had to dial ourselves back in, and we did.”

Along with the team scoring a season-best 79 points, McGill and McDonald both had their own double-doubles, their fourth and third, respectively. In the fourth quarter, Yale shot .529 from the field. This is also the eighth game in a row won against Cornell.

With respect to McGill, Eshe told Yale Athletics that her defensive game impacted her offense.

“Nyla was a phenomenal rebounder today,” she said. “When she is a monster on the boards, it translates to her offense. Cornell could not figure out a way to box her out.”

After the Cornell game, the Bulldogs needed a huge win against the stampeding Columbia Lions to keep them in the race for the Ivy League tournament. 

Saturday’s game against the Lions celebrated seniors Clark, McDonald, Klara Aastroem ’24 and Haley Sabol ’24.

In the first quarter, the Lions jumped out quickly to a striking lead, one which the Bulldogs never quite seemed to catch up with. While Columbia reigned on offense, they also held the Blue and White on defense, as only three Bulldogs were able to score in the first quarter: McGill, Astrom and Grace Thybulle ’25. As the time melted into the second quarter, Yale cut the point deficit down to 15, going into halftime trailing, 44–29.

After the half, though the Bulldogs were able to sink more baskets than at the beginning of the game, it was not nearly enough to match the burning-hot Lions, who seemed unstoppable. Despite another double-double from McGill and 16 points from Clark, the Blue and White fell to Columbia, 76–50.

With this loss, Yale fell out of the race for the Ivy League tournament. 

The Yale women’s basketball team will travel to play their final game of the season in Providence against the Brown Bears (7–15, 1–9 Ivy) at 3 p.m. on March 9. 

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The Bulldogs hoped to dust off the two losses they surrendered to Princeton University (20–4, 10–1 Ivy) and the University of Pennsylvania (13–11, 5–6 Ivy) from the previous weekend. With a win against Dartmouth, the team was keeping their hopes for a bid in the Ivy League tournament alive.

The last time these two teams met was Jan. 20, when the Bulldogs barely held on to the win, 48–46. This time, they ensured that their lead would be far out of reach by the time the clock wound down to zero.

In the first quarter of the game, the Blue and White quickly jumped out to an eight-point lead, one they never lost throughout the entirety of the contest. It seemed the Bulldogs rarely missed a basket, often going on multiple hot streaks at a time. The lead grew as a result of a team effort, where five Bulldogs contributed to the tally of points in the first, and even more played defensive roles on the court. The first ended with the momentum skewed heavily toward Yale and only heading further in that direction with the score at 21–14.

Although the second quarter was less offensively productive for the Bulldogs, their defense proved proactive and effective against Dartmouth, holding them to only six points through the entire ten minutes of the period. More Bulldogs stepped up to the line and added to the point total, including Nyla McGill ’25, who went two-for-two at the free throw line. As the Blue and White ran off into their locker room at the half, they led 34–20.

Coming back onto the court at the sound of the third-quarter buzzer, the Bulldogs quickly went to work, adding six unanswered points in a row to their lead from three different players. Successful steals and rebounds by Christen McCann ’25 and McGill led to offensive successes that extended the Bulldog margin significantly. The Big Green defense had no answer for Brenna McDonald ’24 and Jenna Clark ’24, who racked on basket after basket to lead their team to victory, 78–42.

McDonald and Clark were the main culprits for the stacks of points that Yale amassed throughout the game, though everyone on the court played a hand in the resounding victory against the Big Green. McDonald and Clark both earned double-doubles, with Clark banking 17 points and 12 assists and McDonald registering a career-high 30 points and 12 rebounds. Mackenzie Egger ’25 and McGill combined for 14 rebounds.

The Yale women’s basketball team looks forward to their homecoming to John J. Lee Amphitheater in New Haven to face Cornell (7–16, 1–10 Ivy) on March 1 at 4 p.m.

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The last time Yale took on the Quakers this season, a Cinderella story for the books took place when a buzzer-beater from Klara Aastroem ’24 sent the two teams into an overtime that would prove victorious for the Blue and White. The Bulldogs hoped to generate that same momentum back home. 

The entirety of the game seemed determined by the first quarter, which was a slow start for Yale. Only Kiley Capstraw ’26 and Brenna McDonald ’24 were able to put the basketball in the net while multiple Quakers piled onto their lead. They continued to burn through the Bulldogs into the second quarter as well, adding salt to the wound with a three-point buzzer-beater of their own going into halftime. In order to rally, the Bulldogs needed more of the same magic they had from their last game against Penn.

But the same Yale team seemed to come back onto the court after the half. The Quakers’ lead diminished by no more than seven for the rest of the half as no one for the Bulldogs could rekindle their team’s spark. Penn sealed the game 66–52.

The game was not without its highlights as McDonald posted a career-high 25 points.

The next day, the Bulldogs needed to turn around and face No. 24-ranked Princeton University, a seemingly unstoppable team.

At the start of the first half, McDonald lept to win the jump ball, tossing to Nyla McGill ’25. Soon after, Jenna Clark ’24 immediately hit the backboard for the first points of the game, trying to get the momentum going early for her team. At first, multiple steals by McGill and Astrom secured quick baskets for Yale, and it appeared as though the Bulldogs might challenge the Tigers. 

However, as the game progressed, Yale held onto the ball more and made hasty shots under pressure, while Princeton’s aggression got them to the basket quickly and efficiently. Though Princeton did not start off flawlessly, their defense supplied enough energy to keep the Bulldogs to only 15 points at the half.

After halftime, Princeton came out on a hot streak, scoring 14 points unanswered. Though the stands of John J. Lee Amphitheater continued to roar emphatically, missed shots and errorant passes repeatedly cost the Bulldogs crucial points. Despite a good effort, Yale lost their second game of the weekend to the nationally-ranked Princeton Tigers, 70–25.

Despite her 25 points the game prior, McDonald only posted 6 against the tireless Princeton defense. Clark led the team with 8.

The Yale women’s basketball team will travel to Hanover, N.H. to take on Dartmouth (7–15, 1–9 Ivy) on Feb. 24 at 1 p.m.

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The weekend prior, the Bulldogs defeated the University of Pennsylvania Quakers (11–10, 3–5 Ivy), 74–68, after forcing an overtime. They rolled into Ithaca, NY confident, especially given that Cornell dropped their previous game to Harvard (13–8, 6–2 Ivy), 52–63. This game was the first time this season that the Bulldogs and the Big Red battled.

The first quarter began with the Big Red winning the tip-off, though holding possession for no time at all before Nyla McGill ’25 stole the ball and passed to Brenna McDonald ’24. Although Cornell jumped to a five-point lead early in the first quarter, a three-pointer by Kiley Capstraw ’26 and a jumper by McGill tied the game up at 5:59. From there, the Bulldogs and the Big Red fought back and forth for the lead, but eventually met up in a tie going into the second.

In the second, the Bulldogs retaliated against one another with points on either side. Soon, however, Yale broke away from the back-and-forth when Mackenzie Egger ’25 and Jenna Clark ’24 shot for seven consecutive points. The Bulldogs ran off the court at the half, leading 27–20.

After the half, the gap widened as the Blue and White increased their lead by as much as 12 points in the third quarter. Turnovers proved fatal for Cornell, which relinquished the ball into the hands of Yale’s top scorers, who capitalized almost every single time. Toward the end of the quarter, it looked as though Cornell was gaining traction, shooting two jumpers and a layup in a row to close the gap to six points. Just as the time dwindled to one second, McGill drove for a layup to take back the momentum. Going into the fourth, the Bulldogs led 46–38.

The last quarter of the game continued Yale’s momentum, with the Bulldogs ahead by no fewer than four points. Yale bested Cornell 66–59.

The crucial game kept the Blue and White in the contest for the Ivy League tournament, as Brown and Penn, the two teams alongside Yale in the race for the fourth and final spot, both lost their games. 

Head Coach Dalila Eshe told Yale Athletics that she was up-front with her team about the necessity of this win.

“We told the team, when you made the decision to be a Division I athlete, you made the decision to embrace pressure,” she said. “We told them this was a must-win game, on the road, which has been a bit of a monkey on our backs.”

Continuing Ivy play, the Bulldogs return home to John J. Lee Amphitheater to face the Quakers on Friday for the second time and the Princeton Tigers on Saturday.

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Earlier in the week, the Bulldogs surrendered to Princeton (17–3, 7–0 Ivy), 59–79. Despite the loss, they looked to maintain their hopes at an Ivy tournament bid by defeating the Quakers. Penn, however, rolled into their home arena fresh off a decisive victory against Brown (13–7, 4–3 Ivy), 77–56. This game saw the two teams meet for the first time this season.

The first quarter began with quick, easy points for Penn, which jumped out to a 7-point lead early. Baskets by Nyla McGill ’25 and Grace Thybulle ’25 kept Yale at the heels of the Quakers, but they were unable to close the lead. The first quarter ended with Penn leading by nine, 22–13.

The second quarter found the Bulldogs slowly gaining traction. More jumpers, free-throws and three-pointers from usual suspects Jenna Clark ’24 and Kiley Capstraw ’26 allowed Yale to more than double their points from the first period. Most notably, Brenna McDonald ’24 burned through the Penn defense, leading second-quarter scoring with nine points. By the end of the half, the Bulldogs barely trailed the Quakers, 35–33.

After the half, a jumper by Capstraw immediately tied the game at 35. Though Penn sunk necessary shots, Yale fought to inch right back up to them. In a push-pull for points, Clark made crucial baskets to keep her team in the game. Finally, at 1:21, Mackenzie Egger ’25 hit a jumper that catapulted the Bulldogs ahead, securing their lead until the end of the quarter, 49–47.

The fourth quarter, though the last of the regular game, marked itself as the beginning of the action. For most of the quarter, the Quakers maintained a steady 5-point lead. However, nearing the finale, a McGill lay-up brought Yale within three. Everyone at the Palestra arena held their breath as Clark barrelled down the court, guarded heavily by Penn defenders. With no time remaining, Clark passed to Klara Aastroem ’24, who hit the crucial three-pointer needed to cling onto the game. As the buzzer sounded, the Bulldog bench erupted, celebrating the chance to continue to victory. 

Head coach Dalila Eshe told Yale Athletics that Astrom was confident in her ability to execute.

“Jenna saw Klara wide open out of the corner of her eye, in her peripheral vision,” she said. “She told me she knew she was going to make it.”

At first, points in overtime did not favor the Bulldogs, with two free throws putting the Blue and White in a two-point deficit. However, as soon as Clark hit her first jumper of the overtime, Yale held on to their lead the entire time. The game ended in fairy tale fashion, with McGill stealing the ball and holding onto it until time ran out, securing the win, 74–68. The Yale bench could not have been more ecstatic.

Coach Eshe told Yale Athletics that her team’s dogged persistence allowed them to succeed over Penn.

“The energy was incredible the entire game,” she said. “Our will to win and our desire to win was what won us this basketball game.”

Clark made 25 points, one point shy of her career-best. McDonald made 19 points, her season and career best, while McGill made 10 points. By most metrics, this was one of the Yale women’s basketball team’s best games.

The Bulldogs continue their venture on the road with a game against Cornell (7–12, 1–6 Ivy) at 2 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 10.

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The Bulldogs faced Harvard earlier in the season over the winter break, where a fatal first quarter determined the outcome, losing 73–54. Since that win, Harvard won two of their last three games, while Yale earned their first Ivy League win against Dartmouth (6–11, 0–5 Ivy) on Jan. 20.   

The first quarter against the Crimson began with 6’3” post Brenna McDonald ’24 winning the jump ball for Yale. Points were sparse from there, with the first basket made coming from a jumper by McDonald at almost two minutes into the game. Numerous missed three-pointers on the Crimson side led to a point scarcity for the visitors until 7:06. The Bulldogs defense helped to limit the Crimson offense, with a block from McDonald and a steal from Grace Thybulle ’25 both leading to a Bulldog ball.

The second quarter started out all Yale, carried by momentum from Thybulle, McDonald and Jenna Clark ’24, whose aggressive playing led to the Bulldogs 11 points to Harvard’s 7 halfway through the period. Moreover, a huge steal and assist from Clark led to a three-pointer from Christen McCann ’25, who was subbed in just moments earlier. Perhaps the highlight of the quarter was a shot from Harvard that stayed put on the rim of the hoop, leading to a jump ball. Though the Bulldogs trailed 26–32 at the half, it was clear the momentum of John J. Lee Amphitheatre was on their side.

After the half, the first points on the board were once against courtesy of McDonald, aided by a pass from Clark. At 6:24, the Bulldogs tied the Crimson 34–34 after a long, arduous battle. This continued throughout the quarter in an alternating Navy-versus-Crimson fight, each retaliating against the other. Multiple players from both sides tumbled on the court, the result of each team’s aggression. At the end of the third, however, Harvard came out on top, 43–42. 

The fourth quarter, what would be the end of a hard-fought battle, saw the Crimson jump out to a 6-point lead. They maintained this lead throughout the period, holding Yale to only ten points. Nyla McGill ’25 went 4-for-5 on the free throw line, while Thybulle and McDonald shot 1.000 for free throws. After Harvard point guard and team scoring leader Harmoni Turner called a timeout, the game dwindled to its final moments. A layup by Clark and a successful steal from McGill brought the Bulldogs within four points at 45 seconds to go, but they could not capitalize. The game ended 61–52, the Crimson trumping the Blue and White.

Head coach Dalila Eshe told Yale Athletics that her team performed well, but could not finish the game.

“We executed a lot better,” she said. “We played a fantastic three quarters, but only shot 7.7 percent in the fourth.”

The Bulldogs will travel to New Jersey to face the Princeton Tigers (15–3, 6–0 Ivy) at 7 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 2 to continue Ivy play. 

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Coming off a tough loss against Columbia (12–5, 3–1 Ivy) the Monday prior, the Bulldogs hoped to fashion together their first conference win of the season. The game against Dartmouth was the fourth conference game of the season. 

The game versus the Big Green also celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day by hosting a clinic in the morning with women from a variety of Yale’s athletics teams, inviting kids from around the New Haven area to participate in fun activities with the athletes. The match-up occurred soon after the event at 1 p.m.

Quickly into the first period, Yale post Brenna McDonald ’24 sank a jumper, which was followed by a three-pointer from point guard Jenna Clark ’24, giving the Blue and White an early lead. Though the Big Green stayed ahead, rebounds by Clark and Nyla McGill ’25 helped to assist in baskets and keep Yale close in the game. The end of the first quarter had Dartmouth ahead by just two points, 15–13.

In the second quarter, the Bulldogs fought back to tie the game at 19–19, thanks in part to a Grace Thybulle ’25 free throw. From there, the two teams battled neck and neck, tying at 22–22, 24–24, 26–26, before an end-of-the-quarter layup from Kiley Capstraw ’26 pushed Yale ahead, 28–26.

The second half proved to be a tight race. Though the Bulldogs outscored the Big Green in the first half, Dartmouth quickly bounced back, out-scoring Yale 9–6 in the third quarter and snatching the lead away, 35–34. The comeback for the Blue and White would prove challenging, but never impossible.

At 4:50 in the fourth quarter, back-to-back three-pointers from Capstraw and Clark propelled the Bulldogs in front of the Big Green, building momentum and establishing the confidence they needed to win. The two players for the Blue and White were the sole scorers of the fourth quarter, with Capstraw’s posting seven points and Clark’s posting eight. In a storybook ending of a hard-fought game between teams so far unsuccessful in conference play, the Yale Bulldogs proved their bite was just as big as their bark, howling victoriously over Dartmouth, 48–46.

Rebounds abounded during this defensive clinic of a game, with the Bulldogs’ racking up 28 to Dartmouth’s 32. Though points were scarce for either side, both Clark and Capstraw were able to put up 16 points each to aid their team’s cause. McDonald led the team with seven rebounds.

This victory marked the seventh straight success over Dartmouth for the Blue and White.

Head coach Dalila Eshe told Yale Athletics that this win could be just what her team needed to excel in the rest of Ivy League conference play.

“Our narrative is, we’ve been saving the good stuff,” she said. “Any way you can come up with a win works. This gives us a chance to find some confidence.”

The Bulldogs play again at home at the John J. Lee Amphitheater against Harvard (10–7, 3–1 Ivy) for the second time this season on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 1 p.m.

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The Bulldogs faced the Harvard (9–7, 2–1 Ivy), Brown (11–5, 2–1 Ivy) and Columbia (12–4, 3–0 Ivy) women’s basketball teams for their first Ivy games.  

The Bulldogs started their conference play facing some of the top teams in the league. Princeton University (13–3, 3–0 Ivy) recently made headlines after beating nationally-ranked University of Oklahoma (10–6, 4–1 Big 12) a few weeks ago. Harvard and Columbia joined Princeton in the top 80 of the most recent NET rankings.  

On Saturday, Jan. 6, the Yale women’s basketball team ventured to Cambridge, Mass. to battle the Harvard Crimson for their first Ivy game of the season. The Bulldogs played quietly in the first quarter, answering only nine points to Harvard’s 24. From there, the team seemed to wake up and compete against their rival, falling just short of the Crimson’s 49 points with 45. A career-high 18 points from Grace Thybulle ’25 and 12 points from Kiley Capstraw ’26 were to no avail. The first quarter determined the fate of the Ivy opener and the Bulldogs took the loss 73–54.

Head coach Dalia Eshe told Yale Athletics that her team needed to come out against Harvard ready from the get-go.

“This game was all about showing up and being ready,” she told the News. “We don’t score at a high enough clip to be able to absorb a quarter like the first quarter, otherwise the score could have been flipped.”

A similar situation occurred at home the next Saturday against the Brown University Bears, with a slow start hurting the Bulldogs’ chances of winning. The Bears stole the first quarter 20–9. However, this time the Blue and White attempted to fashion together an enormous comeback during the fourth quarter, trailing by 21 points. Through a clutch 17–0 run, aided by Jenna Clark ’24 and Brenna McDonald ’24, Yale pulled within four points. However, time dwindled faster than they could succeed over the Bears, and Brown held on to the game with a tight grip, 76–71.

Clark led the team in the game against Brown with 17 points, followed by Capstraw at 16 and McDonald at 12. Mackenzie Egger ’25 had 10 rebounds and five steals.

Two days later, the Bulldogs headed toward New York City for a match-up against the Columbia Lions, who sought to maintain their 10-game win streak and stay tied with the Princeton Tigers atop the Ivy League rankings. The Lions made it to the Ivy League tournament last year but fell in the semifinals to Harvard.

Though the Bulldogs once again fell early in the first 16–6, the first half of the game appeared relatively even between the two teams. Both Clark and Capstraw had 12 points throughout the game, followed this time by Egger and Lola Lesmond ’26. However, the exhaustion from the first half caught up with the Blue and White, who trailed for the remainder of the game and allowed the deficit to widen. Four players for the Lions shot for double-digits, an element of what made them so difficult to beat.

Coach Eshe told Yale Athletics that getting Egger to continue her production will be a big part of what will allow them to be successful in the future.

“Mackenzie had a really good postseason after last year and a really good preseason this year,” Eshe said. “The first part of this season was frustrating. Being able to get her going will be huge.”

The Bulldogs return home this weekend to the John J. Lee Amphitheater in New Haven to face the Dartmouth Big Green (6–9, 0–3 Ivy) at 1 p.m. this Saturday. The team will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day during the game. 

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The Bulldogs continued play after a 1–1 weekend, taking a victory over University of Massachusetts (1–8, 0–0 A10) and a loss to Merrimack College (3–6, 0–0 NEC). They looked to earn their third win of the season against the Seawolves, who have had a successful season so far, including a notable win against Yale’s conference rival, Columbia.

The first period began with a quick basket from each team, including a three-pointer by Kiley Capstraw ’26. All points from the Elis in the first quarter came in the form of three-pointers, including Capstraw’s initial three-pointer and two more from Jenna Clark ’24 later. The Bulldogs took 18 shots and sank three. The Stony Brook Seawolves were slightly more effective in their shots, sinking 15 points. The period ended with the Bulldogs trailing 15–9.

Just like the first, the second period began with a three-pointer from Capstraw. Baskets in the second came from more than just Clark and Capstraw, with two points from Mackenzie Egger ’25, three points from Lola Lesmond ’26 and four points from Brenna McDonald ’24. Although more Bulldogs got in on the shooting action, Yale nevertheless trailed Stony Brook the entire second quarter.

After halftime, the Bulldogs came closer and closer to the lead, bringing themselves within four points because of an Egger jump shot that made the score 45–49. From there, though, the Seawolves began to pull away, aided by multiple free throw chances and layups driving to the basket. Clark shone as the Bulldog with the greatest ability to get points on the board, but it was not enough. The third period ended in a score of 56–63.

The fourth quarter began as Yale’s last chance to surge back and take the game. Immediately, baskets by Clark and McDonald brought the game within three, scaring the Seawolves into action. To halt the Bulldogs’ return, two Seawolves — Khari Clark and Sherese Pittman — rallied to score 14 points between the two of them. The Elis fell short despite an excellent showing from Clark, Capstraw and McDonald, losing to Stony Brook 66–81.

Clark had a season-best outing in both points and field goals made, with 26 and 10, respectively. She had 39 percent of the points for the Bulldogs, whose field goal percentage was 38.5 percent against the Seawolves’ defense.

Capstraw and McDonald both scored 13 points for the Bulldogs, with McDonald reaching a season high. Both continue to be steady production for Yale.

The Bulldogs return home this weekend to the John J. Lee Amphitheater in New Haven, Conn. to face the Providence College Friars (3–5, 0–0 Big East) this Saturday.

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The Bulldogs, coming off their first win of the season at home against the Marist Red Foxes (2–5, 0–0 MAAC), looked to extend their win streak to two against the UMass Minutewomen, who have lost eight straight games.

In the first period, Yale stole the jump ball and maintained possession for over a minute. Every Bulldog touched the ball before it was shot. Shortly after, the first bucket came on a Grace Thybulle ’25 free throw. Though the Bulldogs faced some errant passes over miscommunications, they were able to lead Massachusetts almost the entire quarter, ending the first ahead 12–11. 

The second period was all Blue and White, who found their footing quickly after the first quarter break ended. They put up 22 more points, sinking 12 buckets to UMass’s seven, including two three-pointers. Fouls against the Minutewomen sent the Bulldogs to the line three separate times, which produced four points for Yale. The Bulldogs ran off the court at halftime leading the Minutewomen 34–23.

After halftime, the game did not begin to pick up until late in the third quarter when the Minutewomen began to inch back. Though three was the name of the game for Kiley Capstraw ’26, who had three three-pointers in just the third period, the Minutewomen closed the gap in the beginning of the fourth, 48–48. This did not last long, though, as Yale quickly barked back, maintaining their lead for the rest of the period. The Minutewomen desperately fouled the Bulldogs for extra time, but it was to no avail. The game ended 70–62 in a Bulldog victory.

Yale, who normally struggles limiting fouls, committed just 10, a season-low for the team. This was key in maintaining an advantage over Massachusetts. 

Capstraw racked up 21 points during the game, a season high. She was one of four Bulldogs who tallied over 10 points that game, a list including Jenna Clark ’24, Thybulle and Nyla McGill ’25. Thybulle notably achieved her first double-double of the season, marked by 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Shortly after this win, the team traveled to North Andover, Massachusetts, to face Merrimack (3–6, 0–0 NEC) on Sunday at the Warriors’ Hammel Court.

The first period saw a slow start from the Bulldogs, who trailed Merrimack almost the entire time. Though Thybulle and Capstraw continued to provide some power on the scoreboard, missed shots and turnovers haunted Yale’s gameplay.

During the second quarter, the Bulldogs came back to lead the game at 35–33 with a jump shot by Clark. From there the Warriors came back and led from 2:29 until the half. Three continued as a magic number for the Bulldogs, this time for sophomore Lola Lesmond ’26, who also had three three-pointers in just the second period.

After the half, the score began at 35–44 with Merrimack leading. The Bulldogs fought to close the gap to within two points, aided by layups from McGill and Mackenzie Egger ’25. However, the Warriors were relentless, driving up their point total to leave Yale in the dust. Amaya Staton for Merrimack had 26 points on the game with nine rebounds, a key player in their success. The game ended 73–84.

Once again, Capstraw led the team in points scored with 17, followed shortly by Clark at 16 and McGill at 10. McGill and Thybulle tied for the team-leading most rebounds at seven, but the aggressive plays of Bulldogs and the fight they consistently showed throughout did not prove to be enough.

The Bulldogs take on Stony Brook (6–1, 0–0 CAA) next at Island Federal Arena in Stony Brook, New York on Wednesday at 1 p.m.

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