NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Isaac Celiscar tallied a double-double to lead four Bulldogs in double figures as Yale men's basketball earned their fifth straight win, holding off Penn, 74–70, on Saturday afternoon at John J. Lee Amphitheater.
With the victory, Yale clinched a spot in the Ivy Madness Tournament and improved to 21–4 (9–2 Ivy), while Penn dropped to 13–11 (6–5 Ivy).
Turning Point
After the Quakers cut the deficit to one, 61–60, with 5:51 remaining in the second half, the Bulldogs answered with a 6–0 run—four points coming from Celiscar—to extend their lead to 67–60. Penn rallied late, knocking down back-to-back three-pointers to pull within 68–66 with 44 seconds to play. Celiscar responded with a basket to push the margin to four, but Penn quickly trimmed it back to two, 70–68. In the closing seconds, the Bulldogs sealed the victory at the free-throw line, as Celiscar and
Trevor Mullin calmly converted their attempts to secure the win.
Notable Performances
- Celiscar paced the Bulldogs with a 16-point, 14-rebound double-double, shooting 6-of-9 from the field while matching the game high with five assists.
- Mullin finished with 14 points, went 7-of-8 at the free-throw line, and added five assists and a steal.
- Samson Aletan recorded 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and an assist.
- Casey Simmons totaled 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting, contributing seven rebounds, two assists, and three blocks.
- Riley Fox chipped in with seven points.
- Jack Sullivan contributed five points, knocked down both of his free-throw attempts, and registered three blocks.
- Yale tallied 36 points in the paint.
Hear from Coach Jones
"We've been involved in a lot of really good college basketball games, and this was another one. They [Penn] came out and jumped on us quick, but we were able to respond and make it respectful in the first half, giving us an opportunity to come back in the second half. The first five minutes of the second half, we were tremendous defensively. I think we stopped them five or six times in a row, which gave us a chance to take the lead, and once we got it, we didn't relinquish it. A lot of guys made a lot of good plays."
Bulldog Notes
- Celiscar has reached double-digit scoring in 20 games this season.
- Sullivan recorded three blocks, setting a new career high.
- Celiscar has tallied double-doubles in back-to-back games, marking the fourth of his career.
- Mullin has scored in double figures in 13 games this season.
- Simmons' three blocks matched his career best.
- Jordan Brathwaite made his first career start.
- Yale is riding a five-game winning streak.
- The Bulldogs have claimed victory in six of their last nine matchups against the Quakers.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will hit the road to face Cornell on Friday, Feb. 27 and then Columbia on Saturday, Feb. 28.
