Yale men’s basketball secured its eighth consecutive win with a 92–83 victory over UAlbany at the MGM Springfield Basketball Hall of Fame Classic, held Wednesday evening at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Bulldogs’ performance was highlighted by Jordan Brathwaite, who set a career high with 16 points and was named Classic Player of the Game.
Brathwaite made five of eight shots from the field, including four three-pointers, and contributed seven rebounds, an assist, and a steal. His efforts led six Yale players to finish in double figures. Casey Simmons also scored 16 points on efficient shooting and added two rebounds and an assist. Isaac Celiscar posted 12 points—going 8-for-11 from the free-throw line—alongside eight rebounds and three assists. Nick Townsend contributed 12 points and nine rebounds while recording two steals.
The game’s turning point came late in the first half after UAlbany took a brief lead at 35–34 with under four minutes remaining. Yale responded with a decisive 10–0 run fueled by six points from Townsend to build a nine-point advantage before halftime. The Bulldogs maintained control throughout the second half, extending their lead to as much as 19 points following another three-pointer from Brathwaite.
Other notable performances included Samson Aletan’s first career double-double (11 points, team-high 10 rebounds) and Trevor Mullin’s contribution of 11 points along with perfect free-throw shooting (6-for-6), five rebounds, and a team-leading eight assists.
Reflecting on his team’s effort, Head Coach James Jones said: “I thought the game went pretty much how I expected. Albany changed up their defense a lot to try to slow us down offensively. They did a really good job on offense—very patient, much more than in previous games. They started with a lot of energy, and we were fortunate to play well enough offensively to win.”
On participating in the event itself Jones added: “The meaning behind the Hall of Fame and this event is tremendous. To have our guys here is always special, and we try to give them unique experiences—this is just one of them.'”
With this win Yale became the first Division I team this season to reach eleven victories; previously they had been tied at ten wins with Duke.
Additional notes include Celiscar’s streak of seven straight games scoring in double figures; Townsend reaching double-digit scoring for three consecutive contests; Aletan registering his first career double-double; Brathwaite matching his personal best for made threes; Devon Arlington tying his career high with seven points; Celiscar setting a new mark for free throws made; Mullin establishing a new personal best for assists; Yale surpassing eighty points scored for the seventh time this season; and maintaining an active eight-game winning streak.
Yale will next travel to Alabama for their upcoming matchup scheduled Monday, December 29 at 8 p.m. ET.
