Yale is one of the few teams in the Ivy League that can prevent No. 23 Harvard from running the table in conference play. The Bulldogs get their chance Friday when they host the Crimson at John J. Lee Amphitheater. SportsOptions.com has a free betting preview just for you.
Harvard at Yale (+6, 128)
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, January 27, 2012
Where: Payne Whitney Gym, New Haven, Connecticut
THE STORY: Harvard enters having won its last four games, most recently, a 54-38 victory over Dartmouth. Yale also enters on a four-game win streak, which includes back-to-back victories over Brown. The winner of Friday’s game will take over sole possession of first place in the Ivy League. The Bulldogs hold a 113-69 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to the 1900-01 season.
TV: 7 p.m. ET; Live video at yalebulldogs.com.
ABOUT HARVARD (16-2, 2-0 Ivy): Harvard is off to its best start since 1945-46 when it opened the season 17-1. The main reason for the Crimson’s success has been their ability to defend. They have the nation’s fourth-best scoring defense, allowing just 54 points per game. Harvard has only allowed one opponent to reach the 70-point mark and has held nine of its opponents to 50 or less. Offensively, the Crimson are led by Keith Wright, Kyle Casey and Laurent Rivard, each of whom averages 10-plus points per game. The last time these two teams met, Christian Webster, who is averaging 6.3 ppg, finished with 22 points in a 70-69 losing effort.
ABOUT YALE (12-4, 2-0 Ivy): Yale is a perfect 6-0 at home this season and leads the Ivy League in scoring with 75 points. Greg Mangano and Austin Morgan are the main contributors for the Bulldogs on the offensive end. Mangano, a senior, leads the team in scoring (19.4) and rebounding (10.3), while Morgan ranks second in scoring (13.1) and shoots better than 49 percent from the field. Yale won’t be intimidated by nationally ranked Harvard, as three of its four losses came against major-conference schools, including a 90-70 setback against then-No. 10 Florida on Dec. 31.
TIP-INS:
1. Harvard has won four of the last five meetings in the all-time series, but Yale won most recently, 70-69 last season.
2. The Bulldogs are hosting a top-25 ranked opponent for the first time since Jan 9, 1998, when they lost 69-58 to No. 15 Princeton.
3. Over the last two seasons, the Crimson are 29-5 when leading at halftime.
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