Jan. 4, 2004

at Syracuse

Monday, Jan. 5, 2004

Manley Field House

Syracuse, N.Y.

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THE LATEST

The Bulldogs embark on a two-game, three-day road trip beginning tonight against Syracuse. Despite a game-high 13 points each from Erica Davis and Julie Cohen, Yale dropped a 64-51 decision to Hartford last Saturday. Hartford shot 37.7 percent from the floor, which marked the fifth time this season the Bulldogs have held their opponent under 42 percent shooting for the game. Davis, a 6-3 freshman center, has averaged 12.7 points and has shot 50 percent (13-for-26) from the field over the last three contests. Cohen has connected on 7 of 14 3-point field goal attempts during the last three games, while averaging nine points over the stretch. Christina Phillips (10.7 ppg.), who is the team's leading scorer, is the only player on the team to record a team-high in points, rebounds and assists on at least one occasion. Phillips also leads in double-figure point performances, having done so four times this season. Syracuse last played on Jan. 2, dropping a 61-52 road contest to Vanderbilt. Julie McBride scored a game-high 22 points and moved into fourth place on Syracuse's all-time leading scorer list. The Orangewomen will be playing at home tonight for the first time since Nov. 25.

SERIES HISTORY

Tonight marks the first ever meeting between Yale and Syracuse. In the Bulldogs' last game against a Big East team, Yale fell to Miami (FL), 75-46, at the Gatorade Holiday Classic on 12/28/01. The Bulldogs are 44-41 all-time against non-conference foes from New York state.

SCOUTING SYRACUSE

The Orangewomen begin today with a 3-6 record, having played eight of its first nine games away from home. Syracuse, which was picked to finish 11th in the Big East preseason coaches' poll, returns 2002-03 All-Big East second-team selection Julie McBride. A senior guard, McBride leads the team in scoring (18.9 ppg.) and assists (3.9 apg.). Syracuse averages 26.8 three-point attempts per contest, shooting 76 for 242 (.314) from beyond the arc on the season.

THE LAST TIME OUT...

Despite a game-high 13 points from both Erica Davis and Julie Cohen, the Yale women's basketball team lost to Hartford, 64-51, in a non-conference match-up on Jan. 3 at the John J. Lee Amphitheater. The Bulldogs trailed 29-17 with 18:34 left in the second half, but used a 9-2 spurt, capped by a Cohen 3-point field goal, to cut the deficit to five. Hartford responded with a 10-0 run to take a 15-point lead with 11 minutes left. Christina Phillips grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and scored six points for Yale, which shot 18.2 percent from the field in the first half and 52.2 percent in the second half. The Bulldogs, who trailed 26-17 at the half, had defeated Hartford the previous six meetings.

WORTH NOTING...

Last Wednesday was a day of career milestones for the Bulldogs...Senior Christina Phillips surpassed the 700-point plateau, while senior Julie Cohen reached the 200-point mark for her career... Junior Lindsay Page now has over 300 rebounds for her career, while Aubrey Smith eclipsed the 200 rebound mark and needs one more point for 200 in her career...The Bulldogs shot 54.2 percent in the first half at Tulane on Dec. 28, which marked a season-high single-half shot percentage...Senior Bonnie Smith, last season's second-leading scorer, made her regular-season debut Wednesday after missing the first seven games due to a thigh contusion and scored two points in 14 minutes...Freshmen Erica Davis and Julie Mantilla have provided a big presence in the low-post, both provided three blocks each in their Yale debuts...Yale has averaged 3.6 blocks per game, after averaging only 1.81 per game last season...The Bulldogs held Quinnipiac to a 31.8 FG percentage in the season opener on Nov. 21., which marks the lowest opponent shooting percentage since Yale held Lafayette to 32.7 percent on Jan. 2, 2003, a span of 18 games...Wednesday's 69 points are the most Yale has scored in one game this season...The Bulldogs are 1-9 in their last 10 games decided by six points or less...Hartford's 64 points on Saturday was the lowest amount Yale has allowed this season.