Yale will try to extend its three-game winning streak when it travels to Harvard for a nationally televised rivalry game on Friday evening. The Bulldogs wrapped up a three-game homestand with an 87-65 win over Princeton last Saturday. Harvard has lost two of its last three games, falling to Penn in an 83-68 final last week.
Yale got off to a strong start this season, going 8-1 through its first nine games. The Bulldogs lost five of their next eight games, including three of their first four contests in Ivy League play. They have been able to get back on track since then, winning three straight home games against conference opponents. Yale beat Brown, Penn and Princeton during its three-game homestand, closing as a single-digit favorite in all of those contests. The Bulldogs failed to cover the spread in their first two games, but they were able to easily cover the 3-point spread in their 87-65 win over Princeton their last time out.
HOT DAWGS. @YaleMBasketball shoots a sizzling 59% from the field and runs away from Princeton for a 87-65 win. John Poulakidas led the Bulldogs with 19 points on the night. ???? pic.twitter.com/BtQFZqVMGE
— The Ivy League (@IvyLeague) January 2 9, 2023
They have been a strong offensive team this season, ranked No. 74 in effective field goal percentage (52.6) and No. 68 in 2-point percentage (53.2). Their major weakness on the offensive end has been their free-throw shooting, knocking down just 67.8% of their attempts from the charity stripe (No. 280). They are one of the most inexperienced teams in the country, ranked No. 337 in that category. Harvard has relied on its defense to win games, sitting at No. 82 in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency ratings. Junior forward Matt Knowling leads Yale with 14.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, while John Poulakidas (10.7), EJ Jarvis (10.5) and August Mahoney (10.4) are each scoring in double digits as well.
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