HIGH POINT, N.C. – After battling back from a deficit that was 14 at one point in regulation, the Yale women's basketball team was a split-second away from miraculously forcing a third overtime Saturday afternoon against High Point at the Qubein Center. The Bulldogs trailed by two with 0.5 seconds left in the second overtime and inbounded the ball from the sideline near their bench. Senior forward
Kiley Capstraw lobbed a pass across the court to sophomore guard
Marisa Chapman, who was wide open at the baseline. Chapman's reverse layup from underneath the basket went in and sparked a huge celebration from the Bulldogs – but was ruled to have come after time expired. After an official review found no conclusive evidence that the ball had left Chapman's hand before the final buzzer, the Panthers came away with an 85-83 win.
That was not the only memorable play from the final seconds of this game. Yale trailed 83-81 after a three-pointer by High Point's Nevaeh Zavala with 50 seconds remaining in the second OT. After rebounding a miss by Yale, the Panthers had a chance to run the clock down almost to zero. As HPU was getting into its offense at the top of the key, junior forward
Mary Meng stole a pass and quickly got the ball to sophomore guard
Ciniya Moore for a fast break. Moore got fouled on a drive and went to the line with 1.1 seconds left. She calmly sank both free throws to knot the score at 83.
On the ensuing High Point inbounds pass, however, a foul on the Bulldogs sent Zavala to the line with .5 seconds left. Her two free throws wound up being the difference in the game.
Yale falls to 4-9 (0-0 Ivy League) while High Point improves to 11-2 (0-0 Big South).
STATISTICAL LEADERS
- Sophomore guard Ciniya Moore led Yale in points with 33.
- Junior forward Mary Meng led Yale in rebounds with 15.
- Senior forward Kiley Capstraw led Yale in assists with seven.
- Meng and Moore tied for the team lead in blocks with three.
KEY STAT
- High Point went 17-for-29 (.586) from the free throw line, while Yale went 8-for-11 (.727).
NOTES
- 83 points was the most in a game for the Bulldogs since an 85-60 win at Columbia Jan. 31, 2020.
- Yale had 51 rebounds. The last time the Bulldogs had that many or more rebounds in a game was when they had 51 Feb. 3, 2023 against Harvard.
- Yale had 23 assists. The last time the Bulldogs had that many or more assists in a game was when they had 23 in a 72-59 win at Brown Jan. 16, 2023.
- Four Bulldogs scored in double digits — Moore (33), junior forward Luisa Vydrova (17), Capstraw (11) and junior forward Ana Guillen (10, a career high).
- That was a career high in points for Moore – the fourth time in the last seven games she has set or tied her career high in scoring.
- Moore's 33 points were the most in a game for a Yale player since Roxy Barahman '20 scored 33 in a 96-86 win at Princeton in overtime Feb. 8, 2019.
- Meng now has 29 rebounds in the last two games.
- High Point was ranked No. 7 in the Dec. 16 Collegeinsider.com Women's Mid Major Top 25 poll. Among Yale's opponent's this year, only one (No. 1 Princeton) was ranked higher.
UP NEXT
- Ivy League play starts Saturday, Jan. 3 at 2:00 p.m. vs. Brown.
