City of Basketball Love

Ty Daubert (@TyDaubert)
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St. Joe’s didn’t bring its best on Friday night, and perhaps that made the reward even better.

Despite surrendering 25 offensive rebounds and turning the ball over 19 times, SJU battled to fend off a late Yale push and earn a 59-54 victory at Hagan Arena. 

Stretches of sloppy play plagued both sides at different points during the game, but a 16-point showing from forward Talya Brugler and a pair of key 3-pointers from bench guard Julia Nyström provided enough separation for SJU (2-0) to hold on and overcome an inconsistent performance.

“I thought we showed resilience today,” Hawks coach Cindy Griffin said after the win, the 400th of her career. “It wasn’t exactly the prettiest game we’ve played, but we found ways to win. I’m proud of the way that we just kept fighting when things weren’t going our way. I think that’s the sign of a very resilient and relentless team.”

Brugler provided timely inside scoring throughout the night while Nyström hit two triples in the fourth quarter to extend the Hawks’ lead, preventing a Bulldogs comeback after having control early on.

The Hawks built a quick advantage as they jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first quarter, holding Yale scoreless for nearly four minutes to begin the game. The St. Joe’s starting five spread the scoring around in the first quarter and forced ugly possessions on defense, holding the Bulldogs to 21% shooting (4-19, 0-5 from 3-point range) in the period to go ahead 20-10.

However, Yale flipped the script to start the second; the Bulldogs put together their own 10-0 run, fighting for extra opportunities and getting St. Joe’s out of rhythm. Forward Nyla McGill led the second-quarter effort for Yale on her way to eight points and 10 rebounds (seven offensive) in the first half.

“It was a physical game all around,” Brugler said. “... It’s important for us to go after the rebounds a little more than we did. They had a few too many offensive rebounds.”

Trailing 29-20 at the break, Yale continued to dominate the boards in the third as the Bulldogs chipped away across the period. Forward Grace Thybulle — cousin of Philadelphia 76ers wing Matisse Thybulle, who took in the action from the stands — took advantage of multiple second-chance opportunities as she put together a 16-point, 13-rebound night. Yale went on to tie the game with 29.7 seconds left in the quarter on a pair of Kiley Capstraw free throws.

Mackenzie Smith (above) scored 12 points and grabbed four rebounds. (Photo: Jack Verdeur/CoBL)

The Hawks had to dig in as they entered the fourth, upping the defensive intensity early in the period and burying crucial jumpers to give them cushion. First came an Olivia Mullins trey early in the quarter, before Nyström hit two 3s of her own, the latter of which extended the lead to eight points with just over three minutes to play.

Nyström, a starter in 26 games as a freshman last season, has been converted to a reserve this year. Still, she found a way to make a huge impact, keeping the game out of reach for Yale before the buzzer sounded.

“I’m just trying to help the team any way I can,” she said. “I trust my teammates, and I know they trust me. It’s great to have that trust.”

After opening their schedule with a win over Bucknell on Monday, the Hawks have started the season with two non-conference victories. Last season, the team went 6-9 in its non-conference schedule; continuing to compete at a high level before beginning Atlantic 10 play could be a boost for a young SJU roster.

“I think that was a point of emphasis,” Griffin said. “Just to get off to a really good start and maintain that level of competition and success throughout.”

Moving forward, St. Joe’s will take on Big 5 opponent Penn on Tuesday for its next matchup. The team will aim to clean up some of the shortcomings it showed against Yale, but still take the positives with it.

“I think this is a great confidence booster for us as we move forward,” Griffin said of the win. “We are still a young team, so building that confidence and that trust in each other, we’re still a work in progress. But I’m certainly very, very happy with where we are and the direction that this team is going.”