Opponent Preview: What to know about Yale in its 2nd-ever meeting with SU
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Last time out, Syracuse’s final ACC-Big Ten Challenge game, ended in a loss on the road to Purdue, 87-78. Starting off sluggishly, the Orange allowed the Boilermakers to get out to and hold an 18-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Throughout most of the contest, Teisha Hyman was SU’s lone offensive brightspot, finishing the game with a team-high 26 points. But, in the final 10 minutes of play, a mirage of triples and high-percentage looks inside, from Asia Strong and Dyaisha Fair, helped mount a Syracuse comeback.
Even though the Orange drew within five, outscoring Purdue 28-19, the effort wasn’t enough to prevent the loss — SU’s second to a Big Ten opponent this season.
Syracuse (5-2, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) now travels to Yale (4-4, 0-0 Ivy) for its final nonconference road game. The Bulldogs are coming off of a two-game losing skid, most recently falling to UMass Amherst, 72-57.
Here’s everything you need to know about Yale:
All Time Series:
Yale leads 1-0.
Last time they played:
18 years ago, Syracuse lost to Yale, 70-54 in Manley Field House on Jan. 5, 2004. Missing its first 10 shots from behind the arc to start, the Orange struggled from the perimeter, producing a measly 30.8% from the field, while the Bulldogs were successful on 63.6% of its attempts.
Yale went into the halftime break up 37-21 but weathered a late SU push to cut the double-digit deficit to just eight, early in the second half. However, the Bulldogs embarked on an 11-1 run in the final quarter of play to sink the Orange.
Freshman Lauren Kohn notched 18 points on six three-pointers. Senior Julie McBride finished with eight assists but didn’t record a single field goal for the first time in her career. Yale totaled four double-digit scorers with Tory Mauseth leading the Bulldogs in a perfect shooting night.
The Bulldogs Report:
Throughout the young season, Yale has four wins sandwiched between a pair of two consecutive losses. The Bulldogs put up 63.6 points per game with around 26% of their attempts coming from behind the arc, despite its lowly 27.7% rate.
Compared to the rest of its conference, Yale struggles on the defensive side of the ball, finishing either last or near the bottom of the Ivy League in opponent field-goal percentages. With an average of 35.5 boards a game, the Bulldogs have size inside with five players over six feet, yet 5-foot-8 Nyla Gill leads the team in rebounding, totaling more offensive rebounds than defensive per game.
During every win, Yale has enjoyed shooting the ball 40% or higher and have relied on Jenna Clark and Kiley Capstraw for the majority of its offensive production. The two guards combine for 22.8 points per game.
How Syracuse beats Yale:
For the Orange, this game is won off of forcing Yale into turnovers before running out and scoring. In seven games this season, Felisha Legette-Jack has doubled-down on her enthusiasm for pressuring the ball to get quick and easy transition buckets. SU averages 14 points off of turnovers. Facing off against a Bulldog team that produces 16.1 turnovers a game, Syracuse can utilize its style of fly-around defense to force Yale to cough up the ball.
In the halfcourt game, if Fair and Hyman can carry over their offensive display against Purdue, the Orange should score comfortably. Yale allows its opponents 64.6 points per game, however, the Bulldogs haven’t faced off against a backcourt as dynamic as this one.
Strong could serve as a key factor if she continues to stretch the floor. Knocking down four 3-pointers against the Boilermakers, Strong’s presence as an outside shooter can free up space down low for Dariauna Lewis who has already chalked up three double-doubles this season.
Stat to know: 2.3
Yale averages just 2.3 blocks per game, less than half the amount that Syracuse has had during the 2022-23 campaign so far. After its first five games, the Bulldogs placed second-to-last, behind just Dartmouth and Cornell, for the lowest average block rate in the Ivy League. Against Fairfield and Houston Christian, Yale recorded a season-high four blocks as a team — a total that Lewis has individually produced twice already.
Player to watch: Jenna Clark, No. 1, Guard
Clark commands the Yale offense at the point guard position, averaging 11.8 points per game and 5.4 assists per game — both team-highs. A disruptor on defense as well, Clark totals just under two steals a game, good enough to place second on the roster. Against the Orange, look for Clark to engineer the offense through her link-up play with Capstraw, her backcourt running mate.
