Yale Athletics

The Yale women’s basketball team (4–14, 1–4 Ivy) continued the 2023–24 conference and season play with a home game against the Harvard Crimson (11–7, 4–1 Ivy).

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.