Sophomore guard Marisa Chapman secured a 53-52 victory for the Yale Bulldogs women’s basketball team over Rider University with two free throws in the final seconds of Saturday’s game at Alumni Gymnasium in Lawrence Township, New Jersey. The win came after a tense last three and a half minutes where neither team led by more than two points and the score was tied four times.
Yale led for more than 31 minutes following an early deficit. In the second quarter, after trailing 10-9, Yale went on an 8-0 run within less than a minute. This surge included three-pointers from sophomore guard Ke’iara Odume and junior forward Luisa Vydrova, along with a long two-point shot from sophomore guard Ciniya Moore. Chapman added to the run with two free throws, giving Yale a 10-point streak. Rider managed to close the gap only to four points by halftime.
During the third quarter, Rider briefly took the lead but could not maintain it as Yale responded with another short run. The teams traded baskets through most of the fourth quarter until Rider pulled ahead late in the game. With under three minutes left, Rider led 46-44 before Yale tied it up again and regained a narrow lead thanks to senior forward Kiley Capstraw’s layup.
The final moments were marked by rapid exchanges: Rider scored twice around another Chapman free throw, putting them up 52-51 with less than 20 seconds remaining. After being fouled on a drive, Chapman made both free throws in front of an energetic home crowd and then played key defense as Rider failed to convert their last possession.
With this result, Yale improved its season record to 3-7 while Rider dropped to 2-6.
Statistically, Chapman led all scorers for Yale with 16 points and had three steals. First-year forward Dorka Kastl contributed eight rebounds. Both Chapman and Capstraw recorded four assists each.
A key moment in the game was Yale outscoring Rider 17-11 during the second quarter while limiting their opponents’ shooting percentage to just under .300 in that frame.
Other notable performances included Vydrova’s ten points and five rebounds off the bench. Capstraw returned near her hometown of West Orange—where she played high school basketball—and practiced with her teammates at her alma mater prior to this matchup; her mother previously played for Rider.
Dalila Eshe, head coach of Yale women’s basketball, commented on several players’ contributions:
“It’s incredible to watch the growth of our sophomores from their first year. The two big things – Ris [Chapman] missed some free throws earlier, but she was still able to get herself mentally focused when we needed those two at the end. And she came up with a defensive play to seal the game. That’s part of our identity.”
Regarding first-year guard Olivia Kim’s performance: “We gave her incredible props in the locker room after the game. Being able to step in in that situation and give us the boost we needed – that really ignited us.”
On Capstraw’s role: “Kiley is our captain and leader. Her presence on the court, calming us, being able to get us into actions, is huge. She’s a Swiss Army knife; sometimes we play her at guard and sometimes we play her at forward. Today she did exactly what a senior captain does – made the tough shot when we needed it.”
Eshe also spoke about winning close games: “Credit to Rider for playing with high energy. My message to the team was we’ll take any win. Sometimes in a long college basketball season you just have to grind one out. Even just proving that we know how to win is valuable.”
Yale will next face University of New Haven on Monday evening.
