Score: Yale 61, UAlbany 52

Location: SEFCU Arena in Albany, N.Y.

Records: UAlbany (5-4); Yale (7-3)

Short story: Men's basketball battles with Yale but falls behind late, ending their three-game winning streak by a final score of 61-52.

Key stats

• Cameron Healy hit a three-pointer in his 41st-straight game
• Yale opened the game on a 7-0 run
• Yale held UAlbany to a season-low 27 rebounds
• UAlbany was a perfect 7-7 from the free-throw line
• Four Bulldogs scored in double-figures

Coach Brown: “We knew we had our hands full tonight against a very good Yale team.  I told our guys that I thought this would be the best team that came through SEFCU this year, and that both of their frontcourt guys were pros.  With us shorthanded, I thought it was going to be a huge challenge.  I don't like to lose, but I thought we got better today.  I thought we played with a tremendous sense of urgency, that we competed at a high level, that we were physical.  I thought we got a little impatient at times, especially on the offensive end, and tried to force a little bit of action, but I think a lot of that has to do with Yale just being really good.  We have to build off tonight and build the next two days as we get ready for Bucknell on Saturday.”

Recap

Riding a season-high three-game winning streak, the University at Albany men's basketball team welcomed Ivy League power Yale into SEFCU Arena Wednesday night in the second leg of a doubleheader with the women's team for the annual UAlbany Holiday Hoopla.  After falling behind early, the Danes fought back to take the lead, before ultimately dropping the game to the Bulldogs 61-52, ending the winning streak at three games.

Yale opened the game on a 7-0 run before Ahmad Clark hit a pair of free throws with 16:20 to go in the first to put UAlbany on the board.  Yale led by as many as 11-2 before UAlbany went on a 6-0 run to cut the lead to three. 

The Bulldogs responded from deep, to go up 14-8 with 11:40 left in the first.  After maintaining their lead to 18-12, the Danes used a 7-0 run to take their first lead of the night, 19-18 with 6:23 to go after a layup and-one conversion from Clark.

The Danes' run extended to 10-0 and a 22-18 lead behind a three-pointer from Cameron Healy, who extended his made threes streak to 41 games.  Yale broke the streak with a jumper with 5:09 to go, before UAlbany up by seven following a three-pointer from Romani Hansen and layup from Healy, around which the Great Dane defense forced a Yale turnover.

Yale pulled within one by end of the half, with UAlbany taking a 29-28 lead into the locker room.  Healy led the Danes with nine points, with Clark adding seven with three assists.  UAlbany narrowly outrebounded Yale 15-13 in the first half, but struggled from behind the arc, shooting just 2-12.  Yale did not attempt a free throw in the first half.

The Bulldogs immediately retook the lead to start the second half, going up 30-29, before Trey Hutcheson responded to put UAlbany back on top on the ensuing possession.  With 17:34 to go in the second, UAlbany led Yale 34-33, right before an 8-0 run by the Bulldogs to put them on top 41-34 with 15:37 to go.

By the middle of the second half, four Bulldogs had scored in double-figures, leading UAlbany by eight.  Hutcheson hit a three to bring the game within five with 10:36 remaining.

Trailing 55-45, a quick 5-0 run for UAlbany cut their deficit in half with 5:32 left in the game.  With 2:32 to go, Healy drew a foul and hit both free throws to bring UAlbany within 58-52.  The Great Danes would pull no closer, as Yale put the game away at the free throw line and won 61-52.

Healy finished with a game-high 17 points, shared with Yale's Jordan Bruner.  UAlbany struggled in the second half, shooting just 8-26 from the floor, but finished the game 7-7 from the free-throw line.  Yale held UAlbany to a season-low 27 rebounds, including just 12 in the second half. 

Up next: UAlbany begins a two-game road trip Saturday at Bucknell at 7:00 p.m., before heading to ACC opponent Boston College on Tuesday.  The Danes' final home game of 2019 will be Saturday, December 14 against Niagara.