Jan. 10, 2006

Game Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

NEW HAVEN, CONN. -- The Bulldogs enter tonight's contest looking to even their home record at 2-2 after taking down Lehigh in their last contest in Lee Amphitheater. Freshman Jamie Van Horne has had the two best games of her young career after being inserted into the starting line-up against Lehigh. In her start against Lehigh she racked up a career-high 17 points on 6-9 shooting, including 5-7 from three-point land. She followed that up with her second best scoring total, hitting a trifecta of treys for nine points against Quinnipiac.

SERIES HISTORY Yale and Fordham have played 12 times in their respective histories, with the Rams holding a 7-5 series edge. The two have not locked up, however, since the 1990-91 season, a 68-59 Fordham win. Yale's last win in the series came during the 1986-87 season by the score of 92-74.

THE LAST TIME OUT Yale lost its final non-conference road bout of the season at Quinnipiac 62-47 last week. The freshman duo of Kaitlyn Lillemoe and Jamie Van Horne each had nine points to pace the Bulldogs, but four Bobcats went for ten-plus including a game-high 16 from Erin Kerner to seal a Quinnipiac victory. Yale junior Julie Mantilla tied a school record with five blocked shots in the game. She now shares the record with three other players including teammate Erica Davis. It was the third time in her career she has blocked five shots and the second time against Quinnipiac she has done it.

SCOUTING THE RAMS Fordham is playing its last non-conference game of the season tonight against the Bulldogs. In their last game the Rams were tripped by A-10 rivals Charlotte 70-64 at home. Lisa Carrol went for a game-high 22 points, but her effort wasn't enough to overcome the 49ers. Carrol is the team's leading scorer and is seventh in her conference averaging 15.3 points. Jada Jefferson is second on the team in scoring (12.8 ppg.) and leads the team and is fourth in the A-10 in rebounding (8.9 rpg.). Daniela Roark is the top three-point shooting threat for the Rams, hitting 26-65 attempts for an even .400 shooing percentage from beyond the arc, which is slightly higher than her overall field goal percentage.

UP NEXT With the non-conference portion of the schedule over and done with after the Fordham game, the Bulldogs are set to begin the Ivy League season with a home-and-home set with Brown. The Bulldogs host the Bears on Jan. 12 before travling along I-95 to Providence, R.I. on Jan. 20 for the back end of the set.

GOBRECHT PICKS UP FIRST YALE WIN With a 66-61 win over Lehigh, Chris Gobrecht picked up her first career victory at Yale, snapping a ten-game losing streak by the Bulldogs.

VAN HORNE HEATING UP Freshman Jamie Van Horne has been on fire ever since joining the starting lineup against Lehigh. In that game she canned five of seven three point attempts in a 17 point effort. She followed that up by hitting three more treys at Quinnipiac for nine points. The two totals represent her highest point outputs of the season. For the season she is hitting on over 40% of her attempts (19-47, .404) to place seventh in the Ivy League and to lead the team. Her 19 makes rank ninth in the conference.

NOTHING BUT A BLOCK PARTY Julie Mantilla tied a school record with five blocked shots at Quinnipiac on Jan. 4. It is the third time in her career she has swatted five shots, and the second time against Quinnipiac. Teammate Erica Davis also shares the record, accomplishing the feat twice. The duo is tied with Sarah Jacobson `93 and Megan Connick `81 atop the recordbook. For the season Mantilla is second in the Ivy League, averaging 1.33 blocks per game.

Chris Gobrecht, JOEL E. SMILOW, CLASS OF 1954 HEAD COACH OF WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Chris Gobrecht, a 25-year Division I coaching veteran and a two-time Pacific-10 Conference Coach of the Year, takes the reigns for her first season at Yale. Gobrecht is the ninth coach in the 31-year history of Yale women's basketball, and enters the Ivy League with more career victories than any other active coach in women's or men's basketball with 425.

LILLEMOE NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM Freshman guard Kaitlyn Lillemoe has been impressive through the first four games of her Bulldog career, and was named to the Coca-Cola St. Louis Billiken Classic All-Tournament team. During the two games she averaged 12.5 points, including a 16 point effort in the Bulldogs narrow loss to the Privateers. She was also clutch in the effort, hitting a key three pointer and picking up a block in the final minutes.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK Yale welcomes four fresh faces into the fold for 2005-06. Jenny Burke, Ashley Easley, Emily St. Jean and Jamie Van Horne will all look to contribute during their first seasons in the blue and white at either guard position. The four will bolster a backcourt corps that lost its top two scorers to graduation.

EMMERLING SETS NEW CAREER HIGH For the second time in as many games junior Kaitlin Emmerling set a new career high in points. On the strength of 4-5 shooting from beyond the arc, Emmerling set a new career mark for points with 17 against Providence. Her previous mark came in the season opener against New Hampshire when she scored 13.

LILLEMOE IMPRESSIVE IN DEBUT Freshman guard Kaitlyn Lillemoe had an impressive Yale debut, scoring a team-high 19 points. On two occasions the freshman buried three-pointers as the shot clock expired as part of her .615 night. She finished 8-13 from the floor and 3-4 from three-point land. She chipped in with four rebounds and a pair of assists as well.

PLAYING THE PERCENTAGES Yale welcomes back nearly 59% of its scoring from 2004-05, led by Erica Davis and Chinenye Okafor. The duo combined for 37% of the Bulldogs offense last season. On the glass Yale welcomes back nearly 70% of its rebounding, led again by Davis and Okafor, who accounted for 29% of the team's rebounds. The duo, have only played together in three games this season, the first not coming until Yale played at George Washington.

WELCOME BACK After not playing in 2004-05, senior Cassandra Harris has re-joined the team for the 05-06 campaign. In 2003-04 Harris played in every game, averaging 11.4 minutes, 2.5 points and 2.5 rebounds. Her return makes her the lone senior on the squad.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN The Bulldogs will play only 11 home games in 2005-06, starting opening night when New Hampshire visits New Haven. The game is one of only three non-conference home games the Elis have. The Fairfield Stags play Yale on Dec. 3, and Lehigh comes to town on Jan. 2 rounding out the Bulldogs non-League home slate.

HOME AN UNFAMALIAR PLACE Yale has played just three games at the John J. Lee Amphitheater this season. Yale is 1-2 at home. On the season the Bulldogs will play just 11 games at home out of 27 contests.