The men’s basketball team suffered its first loss in two weeks Saturday, falling to Yale 76-64 in overtime after dealing with foul trouble throughout the night.
Despite beating the Bulldogs (7-12, 1-1 Ivy) last weekend, the Bears (7-9, 1-1) struggled to keep pace with Yale’s offense in the extra period.
“We had 10 turnovers in the first half yesterday, and 10 turnovers in the entire game in our first meeting,” said Head Coach Mike Martin ’04. “I thought that their defensive pressure was better than it was the week before, but I’m still disappointed with how we handled that.”
Bruno had a quick start, putting up eight unanswered points in the first three minutes. But the Bulldogs answered with 10 straight points of their own, due in part to early foul trouble for the Brown front-court. Consistent scoring from Yale’s Justin Sears, who ended the game with 18 points, gave the Bulldogs a 10-point lead at the half.
“I was disappointed with our performance offensively in the first half,” Martin said. “I thought the first half really put us in a tough spot at the beginning of the game.”
The Bears clawed their way back into the game in the second half behind scoring from Captain Matt Sullivan ’13, who totaled 11 for the half, and strong rebounding from Tucker Halpern ’13.5. Cedric Kuakumensah ’16 slowed the Bulldog offense, providing three blocks.
“We fought hard to come back against a double-digit deficit,” Martin said. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.”
Bruno pulled even after a pair of three pointers from Stephen Albrecht ’13 and Sullivan, but a quick bucket from Yale put the Bears down two with one minute, 10 seconds on the clock. A late foul sent Halpern to the line, and he sunk two clutch free throws to once again level the score. The Bears had a chance to win as Albrecht came off a screen and put up a shot with two seconds left, but the wayward shot sent the game into overtime.
“If we could have it all over again, and get a chance in that spot again, I’d sign up for it,” Martin said. “I think we have a chance to make that shot most of the time.”
The Bears could not stop the Yale offense in the extra period, allowing 18 points while only putting up six. Foul trouble for Kuakumensah and Rafael Maia ’15 limited the Bears’ defensive post presence.
“They scored on practically every possession,” Martin said. “We didn’t defend the way we’re capable of, nor the way we have in the past.”
Ivy League play continues Feb. 1 as the Bears travel to Dartmouth (4-12, 0-2). The game is the first of four upcoming away games for Bruno.
“We’re beginning to understand how well you have to play on the road to get wins, and we’re definitely going to take that away,” Sullivan said. “We’ll come back next week ready to go from the start.”
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