The Battle of Whitney Ave hit the hardwood on Wednesday night as the Bobcats took down the Yale University Bulldogs 75-59 at Lender Court. This win extends the Bobcats’ winning streak to three games. The loss for the Bulldogs extends their losing streak to four games. 

“We still understand that the rivalry is there and I think Coach really encouraged us to buy into that rivalry this week. It gives us a little extra boost,” said sophomore guard Jackie Grisdale.

With this win, the Bobcats improved to 5-3. The Bulldogs fell to 4-6. The Bobcats continue their home dominance over the Bulldogs as they extend their home winning streak in the Division 1 era to 8-0.

Cat Almeida, who is graduating and leaving the team at the end of the week, was honored before the game for her senior day. She is moving to Canisius to become a graduate assistant for the women’s basketball program there.

“Cat deservingly won the most inspirational bobcat of the year last year at the Boomies and I think that embodies the type of person she is,” Grisdale said. “She has made an impact on the program in so many ways and we are so grateful to her for everything that she has done.”

“She came in on the heels of a sweet 16 team when we were recruiting her,” said head coach Tricia Fabbri. “She is just an outstanding human and she found other ways of being an important piece to our program, not just in between the lines.”

The Bulldogs never led in this game as the Bobcats relied on their defense through the whole game as they won by 16 and their largest lead was 23. The Bobcats forced 20 turnovers, had 13 steals and eight blocks, and held the Bulldogs to shoot 36.7% from the field. From the 20 turnovers by the Bulldogs, the Bobcats scored 25 points off turnovers. 

“Just taking what happened on the offensive end and bring that over to the defensive [end] to not let them get comfortable,” graduate forward Mary Baskerville said about the team’s defensive effort against Yale. “We saw how we came out hot and we had to stay at that level and even raise we knew that the intensity had to be there all the time.”

“We really feel as a staff and collectively as a team that since we went down and played in the Lehigh tournament when we saw Kent State and Lehigh and then Brooklyn and now Yale, we are really becoming a really good defensive-minded team,” Fabbri said.

The Bobcats offense was led by four Bobcats players scoring double digits as Grisdale scored her season-best 20 points. The Bobcats as a team had a 52% field goal percentage and a 53.8% three-point percentage which jolted them to a win. 

“We trusted the work we have been doing the past couple of days, with going off what we knew with putting trust in our shot and the work we have been putting in on the court,” Baskerville said. “To knock down the shot for the next player next to us is what motivates us and pushes us.”

Both teams play their next games at home on Dec. 11 at noon.

The Bobcats play their final con-conference game against Rhode Island, while the Bulldogs host Drexel.