PROVIDENCE, R.I. – For a lot of non-league play, Yale didn’t look anything like an Ivy League contender. That’s what many thought prior to the season, given that the Bulldogs lost four full-time starters from last season’s team. They also spent a lot of time on the road, which contributed to it.
Now that 2009 has come around, and the Bulldogs got a couple of home games before Ivy League play, the benefits of the schedule look a little more apparent. We often talk about how a team gets battle-tested playing a tough non-league schedule and sees the benefits later, but it doesn’t always work that way. League opponents have a familiarity that non-league ones don’t, and that’s one more factor. But for Yale, things could play out in their favor if Friday night’s 70-62 win at Brown is any indication.
Friday’s game was in some ways a microcosm of the Bulldogs’ season thus far. Brown jumped out to a 13-2 lead before the first media timeout and led throughout the half. The Bulldogs were able to hang in, getting within single digits before long and within a possession in the latter part. They didn’t take the lead for good until four straight points by Alex Zampier broke a 51-51 tie with less than five minutes to go.
In the first half, the Bulldogs couldn’t get Zampier, Travis Pinick and Ross Morin going on the offensive end. They combined for nine points on 3-10 shooting, so there would surely be a need to get them involved in the second half since they are their top three scorers.
“That’s extremely important,” said guard Chris Andrews, another key to the victory. “They pretty much score all our points for us, so the more active offensively Travis and Ross and Alex are, the better off we are. There were a couple of shots Alex made where I was in awe on the court.”
Zampier finished with 19 points and made several clutch shots along the way. Three shots gave them the lead in the latter frame, including an off-balance jumper around the top of the key. Pinick not only scored 10 of his 11 points in the second half, but he also had the ball in his hands more and was able to make more plays happen. He led the way with eight rebounds and five assists as well.
Andrews finished with a season-high nine points, but the numbers aren’t the key. This is a young man who has missed most of the last two seasons due to tearing the ACL in each knee. He played a total of six minutes in two games last season, clearly not ready to be a factor in large part from missed practice and game time during the season. In their last non-league game, he made his first career start against Hartford and helped the Bulldogs pick up their third straight win.
On Friday, Andrews made a three-pointer that gave Yale the lead with just under nine minutes to play. Then as the final minutes came, he sank four free throws 14 seconds apart to help ice the victory.
“We love Chris, we’ve really missed him the past two years, his leadership, his court vision, his shooting,” said Pinick. “For him to step up in a big way like that really helps.”
Considering one of the key players the Bulldogs lost off last season’s team was point guard Eric Flato, Andrews can certainly be a key for this team at the point. He and sophomore Porter Braswell can be a fine combination there, with Pinick and Zampier being extra ball-handlers. More than anything, Andrews can help with intangibles.
“I don’t know that there are too many kids in the country – I guess (Adam) Gore, you can put him in the same category – that are gym rats and love the game,” said head coach James Jones. “He’s our emotional leader and spiritual leader on this team, and to have him playing, being a part of and contributing, instead of being a cheerleader, is tremendous for our basketball team.”
The Bulldogs have survived a lot this season. They have had losing streaks of three and five games, and haven’t been at .500 all season long. In non-league play, they traveled over 10,000 miles as 10 of their 14 games were on the road, and while they did score a 53-52 win at Oregon State, they had their struggles overall.
Since 2009 came around, they bounced back from a loss at Bryant with three straight wins before Friday made it a four-game winning streak. Andrews felt they gained a lot of confidence in the first two wins, over MIT and NJIT, and that may have helped set up the next two wins thus far. The race in the Ivy League at first glance is one for second place, as Cornell looks like a prohibitive favorite, and the Bulldogs could certainly be in the mix there if their play of late is any indication.
“I feel like we’re getting better, and I feel like we have better team chemistry,” said Jones. “I think we have a better understanding of what we are trying to do on both ends of the floor. As long as we can keep that, we can certainly be competitive.”
Jones’ opposite number, Brown head coach Jesse Agel, endlessly praised the Bulldogs’ defense after Friday’s game. One has to think that will give them a chance if they sustain it, continue to get their big three going and Andrews continues to stabilize the point guard spot. If they do, those 10,000 miles might be well worth it in the end.
