The Yale Bulldogs secured a narrow 76-75 victory over the Harvard Crimson, with Isaac Celiscar leading the way with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Yale, ranked 64th in the NET rankings, improved its record to 20-4, while Harvard, ranked 161st, fell to 14-10. The game was closely contested, with Yale outscoring Harvard 36-32 in the second half. Thomas Batties III had a standout performance for Harvard, scoring 23 points and grabbing 7 rebounds, but it was not enough to overcome the Bulldogs' balanced attack.
Isaac Celiscar's 14 Rebounds Mark His 5th Double-Digit Rebounding Effort of the Season
The Harvard Crimson got off to a strong start, taking a 34-30 lead into halftime. However, the Yale Bulldogs rallied in the second half, outscoring Harvard 36-32 to take a 66-66 tie into overtime. In the extra period, Yale outscored Harvard 10-9, with Isaac Celiscar scoring 4 points to seal the win. Jordan Brathwaite added 17 points for Yale, while Casey Simmons chipped in with 16 points and 8 rebounds. Harvard's Chandler Pigge and Ben Eisendrath scored 13 points each, but the Crimson were unable to overcome Yale's strong rebounding effort, which saw the Bulldogs outrebound Harvard 42-37. The game saw a total of 151 points scored, with Yale shooting 43.1% from the field and Harvard shooting 41.9%.
Isaac Celiscar was the top performer for the Yale Bulldogs, scoring 17 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Jordan Brathwaite added 17 points, while Casey Simmons scored 16 points and pulled down 8 rebounds. For the Harvard Crimson, Thomas Batties III led the way with 23 points and 7 rebounds. Chandler Pigge and Ben Eisendrath scored 13 points each, with Pigge also grabbing 6 rebounds. The top performers for both teams combined for 96 points, with Yale's big three accounting for 50 points and Harvard's top three scoring 49 points. Celiscar's 14 rebounds were a game-high, and his 17 points marked his 10th double-digit scoring effort of the season.
CHD Scout Report Card
CORRECTPredicted
Final
The Yale Bulldogs outrebounded the Harvard Crimson 42-37, with Isaac Celiscar grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds. Yale also outshot Harvard from the field, making 43.1% of its attempts compared to Harvard's 41.9%. The Bulldogs committed 12 turnovers, while Harvard turned the ball over 15 times. The game saw a total of 151 points scored, with Yale scoring 76 points on 43.1% shooting. Harvard scored 75 points on 41.9% shooting, with Thomas Batties III making 9 of 18 field goal attempts. The Crimson also made 7 of 22 three-point attempts, while Yale made 6 of 20 from beyond the arc.
The CHD Scout predicted a Yale win by 6.7 points, with a predicted score of 70-77. While the actual margin was much narrower, the prediction was still correct, with Yale emerging victorious 76-75. The model accurately forecasted a close game, but underestimated the competitiveness of the Harvard Crimson. The predicted score was off by a total of 4 points, with Yale scoring 6 more points than predicted and Harvard scoring 1 more point than predicted. The CHD Scout has now correctly predicted 12 of its last 15 games, with an average margin of error of 3.5 points.
The win improves Yale's record to 20-4, with the Bulldogs now boasting a 64 NET ranking. The game was a Quadrant 3 win for Yale, while Harvard suffered a Quadrant 2 loss. The Crimson's NET ranking remains at 161, and the loss drops their record to 14-10. Yale's resume now includes 5 Quadrant 1 wins, 4 Quadrant 2 wins, and 6 Quadrant 3 wins. Harvard, on the other hand, has 2 Quadrant 1 wins, 5 Quadrant 2 wins, and 4 Quadrant 3 wins. The loss hurts Harvard's tournament chances, while Yale continues to solidify its position as a top contender in the Ivy League.
The Yale Bulldogs want to build on their momentum when they face the Brown Bears on February 17. The Harvard Crimson, meanwhile, will aim to bounce back when they take on the Cornell Big Red on February 18. Both games are crucial in the Ivy League standings, with Yale currently sitting in first place and Harvard trailing by 2 games.