Big Green Remain Home to Host Brown Friday, Yale Saturday

Friday, February 3

Hanover, N.H.

6:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Brown

Photo by: Justin Lafleur

Big Green Remain Home to Host Brown Friday, Yale Saturday

2/2/2023 1:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Midway through the Ivy League schedule, Dartmouth stands tied for third place in the standings

By: Justin Lafleur

GAME 22
Dartmouth (8-13, 4-3 Ivy League) vs. Brown (10-10 3-4 Ivy League)
Date: Friday, February 3, 2023 – 6 p.m.
Location: Hanover, N.H. – Leede Arena
All-Time Series: Tied, 82-82
Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats

GAME 23
Dartmouth (8-13, 4-3 Ivy League) vs. Yale (14-6, 4-3 Ivy League)
Date: Saturday, February 4, 2023 – 6 p.m.
Location: Hanover, N.H. – Leede Arena
All-Time Series: Yale, 120-99
Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats

Setting the Scene
Owning a winning record midway through Ivy League play for the first time since 2008-09, the Dartmouth men's basketball team remains home in Leede Arena this weekend for games two and three of its four-game homestand, as the Big Green welcome Brown on Friday and Yale on Saturday. Both games are set to begin at 6 p.m. Dartmouth is coming off an 83-73 win over Columbia, which saw senior Dame Adelekun tie a Leede Arena record with 41 points.

Adelekun ended up scoring 19 first-half points and 22 in the second, accounting for nearly half of the Big Green's 83 points on the afternoon. The 41 points tied the arena record, set by Cornell's Matt Morgan in 2019, but marked the most points scored by a Dartmouth player in the arena that opened in 1987. Adelekun surpassed the previous Big Green high in Leede of 39 scored by Miles Wright against LIU Brooklyn on Nov. 29, 2015. Adelekun shot 14-of-18 from the floor, and 13-of-19 from the free throw line, adding 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Adelekun became the fourth player to post a 40-point double-double in the nation this season and first to do so in a regulation game. A second-half sequence, which saw him finish a spin move with a dunk, before emphatically block a shot seconds later, was named the No. 4 Play of the Day on SportsCenter, the second time he's been on the segment this month and third time the Big Green were featured in #SCTop10 this season.

Sophomore Ryan Cornish added 16 big points, 12 of which came in the second half. Included was a layup with 4:50 remaining to put Dartmouth up one, followed by a pull-up jumper less than a minute later and a layup in the final minute to put the Big Green up seven. Senior Cam Krystkowiak also impressed with nine points and a career-high seven rebounds.

Dartmouth finished the afternoon 30-of-52 from the floor (season-high 57.7 percent) and just 2-of-10 from 3-point range. It marked the Big Green's fewest 3-point attempts since Feb. 22, 2020 vs. Princeton when Dartmouth was 3-for-10. The Big Green attempted just three second-half 3-pointers (going 0-for-3). Dartmouth's overall percentage of 57.7 was a season high against a Division I opponent and best mark vs. a DI foe since shooting 68.1 percent (32-of-47) on Jan. 12, 2019 against Harvard.

Last Saturday's win marked Dartmouth's fifth straight against Columbia, its longest against the Lions since 1994-97 when the Big Green won eight in a row. Dartmouth has won six straight over the Lions at home, marking their longest home winning streak in the series since winning seven in a row from 1954-60. Dating back to last Feb. 17, the Big Green are now 8-4 in Ivy League games, which is the second best record in Ivy regular season games in that span, only behind Princeton who is 10-2.

On Friday, Dartmouth will be eyeing a second straight split of the season series against Brown, following a 77-70 loss on Jan. 7. After a tight first half, the Big Green went down as many as 17 in the second before pulling back within two possessions late. This weekend's games are part of the national "This Game is No Secret" Eracism initiative and will include special warmup shirts. On Saturday, Dartmouth will be searching for its first regular season sweep of Yale since the 1998-99 season. The Big Green enter the weekend in a tie for third place (with Yale) at 4-3, one game ahead of Harvard, Brown and Penn who are all 3-4. Dartmouth is also only one game behind Princeton and Cornell for first (who are both 5-2).

With a win on Friday...
- Dartmouth would stand 5-3, which would mark its best record after eight Ivy League games since being 6-2 to start league play in 1998-99.
- The Big Green would split the season series with Brown for a second straight season.
- Dartmouth would improve to 3-2 over its last five home games against the Bears.
- The Big Green would move into no worse than a tie for second place in the standings (along with the loser of Cornell vs. Princeton, and Yale if the Bulldogs beat Harvard Friday).
- Dartmouth would improve to 9-4 over its last 13 Ivy League games (dating back to the end of last season).

With a win on Saturday...
- (If Dartmouth also wins Friday) The Big Green would improve to 6-3, which would mark their best record after nine league games since 1998-99, when they started league play 7-2.
- (If Dartmouth also wins Friday) Dartmouth would improve to 10-4 over its last 14 Ivy League games (dating back to the end of last season).
- The Big Green would pick up a season sweep of Yale for the first time since the 1998-99 season.

Last Time Out
HANOVER, N.H. (1/28/23) — Senior Dame Adelekun put forth a historic effort, tying a Leede Arena record with 41 points while adding 10 rebounds to become just the fourth player in Division I men's basketball this season to post a 40-point double-double, as he led the Dartmouth men's basketball team to a big 83-73 home win over Columbia on Saturday afternoon. With the previous record held by Matt Morgan of Cornell in 2019, Adelekun's 41 points were the most by a Big Green student-athlete in the facility's 35-year history. Adelekun became the first Dartmouth student-athlete to score 40 points in a game since Jim Barton had 48 on Feb. 7, 1987 at Brown.

Scouting Brown
Brown enters the weekend 10-10 on the season and 3-4 in Ivy League play, one game behind Dartmouth and Yale who are tied for third. The Bears' win over the Big Green on Jan. 7 began a streak of three wins in four games, also beating Princeton and Columbia at home, but Brown dropped a road contest its last time out, 80-73 at Columbia.

Kino Lilly Jr. leads the Bears in scoring, averaging 16.3 points per game, which stands third in the Ivy League. Two others are averaging double figures in Paxon Wojcik (13.3), who scored a career-high 22 points last time out, and Nana Owusu-Anane (10.8). Owusu-Anane leads the team in rebounding (8.0), with Wojcik right behind (7.0) which are good for second and fourth in the league, respectively. Lilly Jr. leads the Ivy League in 3-pointers made (58) and 3-point percentage (40.0), along with minutes per contest (34:30). Wojcik is second in minutes per game (34:11). Prior to Dartmouth senior Dame Adelekun winning Ivy League Player of the Week this Monday, Owusu-Anane and Lilly Jr. won it the two weeks prior (Jan. 23 and Jan. 17).

All-Time Against The Bears
The all-time series between Dartmouth and Brown is tied at 82, following the Bears' 77-70 win in Providence on Jan. 7. That marked Brown's sixth win in the last seven meetings. The teams split the season series in 2021-22, with Dartmouth winning in Hanover, 58-46, and Brown victorious in Providence, 62-60. The Big Green won the first six all-time meetings (from 1902-05) and 14 of the first 16 overall.

Scouting Yale
Yale enters the weekend at 14-6 and 4-3 in the Ivy League, tied with Dartmouth for third place in the standings. The Bulldogs are currently 8-1 at home (with the only loss coming against the Big Green) and 4-5 on the road. Yale has won three straight (and four of five since the Dartmouth loss). Most recently, the Bulldogs beat first-place Princeton, 87-65 at home. Yale shot 72 percent in the second half, outscoring the Tigers 52-29 to turn a one-point halftime deficit into a runaway victory.

Four Bulldogs average double-figure points, led by Matt Knowling and his 14.4 points per game. He's followed by John Poulakidas (10.7), August Mahoney (10.4) and EJ Jarvis (10.4). Jarvis leads the Bulldogs in rebounding (5.3) while Bez Mbeng's 3.15 assists per game pace Yale. The Bulldogs currently stand 12th nationally in rebound margin as a team (7.8), and have only been outrebounded by four teams this season: Hawaii, Kentucky, Dartmouth and Penn. Yale also stands 11th in the country in scoring margin (+13.9).

All-Time Against The Bulldogs
Dartmouth's Jan. 6 win snapped a 12-game losing streak in the series. The Big Green's previous win against the Bulldogs was on Mar. 7, 2015 in Hanover via a 59-58 final. The year prior, Dartmouth also picked up a 69-61 win at Yale on Mar. 8, 2014. Dartmouth won the first-ever meeting, 22-15 on Feb. 9, 1901, and the Big Green won six of the first eight meetings all-time.

Sustained Success
Since last Feb. 17, the Big Green own the second best record in the league in Ivy League regular season games. Dartmouth is 8-4 in that stretch, only trailing Princeton's 10-2. The Big Green are in the best 12-game stretch since the 1998-99 season, when they finished Ivy League play 10-4.

Here are the complete records in that time.

Princeton: 10-2
Dartmouth: 8-4
Cornell: 7-4
Yale: 7-5
Harvard: 5-7
Penn: 4-7
Brown: 4-7
Columbia: 1-10

Dame's Dominance
Senior Dame Adelekun enjoyed a performance to remember on Jan. 28 vs. Columbia.

Adelekun truly enjoyed a historic effort in Saturday's win over Columbia, posting 41 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two assists. He also drew 14 of the Lions' 25 fouls on the afternoon while shooting 14-of-18 from the floor and 13-of-19 from the free throw line.

Here is a rundown of Adelekun's afternoon:
- Became the sixth Dartmouth player to score 40+ points in a game in program history.
- 41 points tied a Leede Arena record (which was set by Cornell's Matt Morgan in 2019).
- 41 points were the most a Dartmouth player has ever scored in Leede Arena (which opened in 1987). It broke Miles Wright's 39 points scored against LIU Brooklyn on Nov. 29, 2015.
Became the first Big Green player to score 40 points, home or away, since Jim Barton had 48 on Feb. 7, 1987 at Brown.
- Prior to Adelekun, the previous Dartmouth player to score 40 points in a home game was Paul Erland on Jan. 17, 1971 against Holy Cross (he had 44).
- Adelekun's 41 were the most points scored by an Ivy League player since Feb. 8, 2019 when Harvard's Bryce Aiken had 44 against Columbia and Cornell's Matt Morgan scored 41 at Dartmouth.
- Nationally, Adelekun has one of 22 40-point performances in NCAA Division I men's basketball this season (following this weekend's games), and one of just 15 to come in regulation.
- Became the fourth player in the nation to post a 40+ point double-double this season, and the only one to do it in a regulation game.
- One of just two players in the nation to record 40+ points, 10+ rebounds and 3+ blocks this season, and the only to do it in a regulation game.
- Adelekun's 40+ point effort came in the second fewest minutes played.
- Tied for the second fewest missed field goals in a 40-point effort this season.
- Had a second-half sequence that was the No. 4 Play of the Day on ESPN's SportsCenter (Adelekun's second #SCTop10 appearance of the season).

Balanced Scoring
Through 21 games, eight different Big Green players have led the team in scoring. Here is a rundown.

Ryan Cornish: 6 - at UTSA (11/27), vs. Grambling State (11/28), vs. CSU Bakersfield (12/3), vs. Penn (1/14), at Harvard (1/16), at Princeton (1/21)
Dame Adelekun: 6 - vs. Vermont (12/6), at Boston University (12/13), at South Florida (12/16), vs. Cornell (1/1), at Brown (1/7), vs. Columbia (1/28)
Brandon Mitchell-Day: 2 - vs. Bryant (11/11), vs. Incarnate Word (11/25)
Cade Haskins: 2 - at Quinnipiac (11/15), at Central Connecticut State (12/9)
Dusan Neskovic: 2 - at Fordham (11/7), at Yale (1/6)
Jaren Johnson: 1 - at UMass (12/20)
Robert McRae III: 1 - vs. MCLA (11/12)
Jayden Williams: 1 - vs. NVU-Johnson (11/30)

What A Weekend!
The Big Green had a statement weekend in mid-January when they beat preseason Ivy League favorite Penn at home on Saturday, Jan. 14 before topping Harvard on the road two days later on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Against the Quakers, the Big Green trailed by as many as 13 in the second half (52-39), but from that point forward, Dartmouth outscored the Quakers 36-19 over the final 15 minutes of action. It marked the first time the Big Green overcame a double-figure deficit since an 11-point comeback against Brown on Jan. 8, 2022. Penn was 0-of-13 from 3-point range in the second half. Offensively, sophomore Ryan Cornish scored nine of his team-high 14 points in the second half while freshman Brandon Mitchell-Day provided a spark, in the second half and all game. He finished with 10 points and a huge block with 34 seconds remaining and Dartmouth up by one, which helped seal the win. Freshman Jackson Munro nearly posted his first-career double-double, finishing with nine points and eight rebounds in just 13:34 of action.

On Monday at Harvard, Dartmouth got out to a 12-2 start and would never trail in a 60-59 win. Cornish again led the Big Green in scoring, this time with 16, including 3-of-4 shooting from three. In the span of 1:39 early in the second half, he completed a 4-point play then knocked down a nearly half-court shot with the shot clock winding down. Including a 3-point play not long before, he scored 10 points in the span of 2:53. Senior Dame Adelekun scored eight of Dartmouth's first 10 points, finishing with 14 — good for his seventh straight game in double figures. Mitchell-Day also scored 11 points, all coming in the first half to help the Big Green open a 34-26 halftime advantage. Mitchell-Day was honored on Tuesday with Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors, Dartmouth's first Rookie of the Week honoree since Taurus Samuels on Jan. 21, 2019. The win marked Dartmouth's second straight against Harvard for the first time since 1998-99. It's the first time since 1995-96 winning back-to-back in Cambridge. Monday was also the first Big Green win of fewer than seven points against Harvard in 18 years.

Road Win Over Defending Ivy Tournament Champs
Dartmouth won at defending Ivy League Tournament Champion Yale on Jan. 6, 81-77, for the Big Green's first victory against the Bulldogs since 2015 and first at Yale since 2014. The win snapped Dartmouth's 12-game losing streak in the series. It was also the Bulldogs' first home loss this season. Junior Dusan Neskovic led the way with a career-high 24 points. It marked the most points scored by any player at Yale this season (home or away) and second most this season overall (behind Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe, who scored 28). The 24 marked the most points by an opponent at Yale since Princeton's Tosan Evbuomwan had 26 on Feb. 19, 2022.

The effort came against a Yale defense that entered tops in the Ivy League and seventh nationally in scoring defense coming in (56.9). The Bulldogs were also seventh in scoring margin (+18.4) and eighth in rebound margin (+9.9). Dartmouth ended up outrebounding Yale, 37-36, becoming just the third team this season to outrebound the Bulldogs (along with Hawaii and Kentucky).

Da Na Na, Da Na Na
Dartmouth men's basketball has found itself on ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 three times this season.

- Most recently, Dame Adelekun's sequence vs. Columbia on Jan. 28 when he had an emphatic dunk on one end, and seconds later, even more emphatic block on the other, made No. 4.
- Adelekun's block vs. Cornell on New Year's Day made the cut at No. 10. It was an impressive play in which he essentially caught the ball as the shot was going up (rather than swatting it away).
- The first #SCTop10 play came on Dec. 13 at Boston University via a Jaren Johnson chase down block.

3-Point Prowess
Dartmouth knocked down double-figure 3-pointers in three of the first four games of the season (11 at Fordham, 10 vs. Bryant and 13 against MCLA). That made it seven times in eight games with 10+ treys dating back to the end of 2021-22. (The Big Green had nine at Quinnipiac in game four.) It marked the first time the Big Green had double-digit made threes in their first three games of the season since 2018-19.

Dartmouth made 13 treys in consecutive games vs. NVU-Johnson and CSU Bakersfield. The 26 made threes were the most since the start of the 2021-22 season at Georgetown (16) and hosting NVU-Lyndon (14). It was also the first time with 13+ made threes consecutively since those two contests.

Block Party
Dartmouth's 4.2 blocks per game are second in the Ivy League and 61st in the nation, owning 88 blocks in 21 games. Individually, senior Dame Adelekun's 38 blocks and 1.90 blocks per contest are tops in the league (and 43rd and 35th in the nation, respectively). He's had three or more blocks five times, including a career high in back-to-back games — four at Central Connecticut State then five at Boston University.

The four blocks at CCSU marked the most for a Big Green player since Chris Knight had four on Feb. 8, 2019, at home vs. Cornell. The five at BU were the most since Jan. 17, 2015, when Gabas Maldunas had five against NJIT. In the first 5:21 of the second half, Adelekun posted nine points, four rebounds, four blocks and an assist in an incredible stretch of basketball. Going back to the first half, the Ivy League leader in blocks had all of his career-high five rejections in the span of 10:04 of game action.

Dominant Defense
In Dartmouth's weekend sweep of Penn and Harvard (Jan. 14 and 16), the Big Green defense impressed against some of the Ivy League's top scorers. Entering the weekend, the top three scorers were Penn's Jordan Dingle (24.2 entering Saturday), Harvard's Chris Ledlum (19.5 entering Monday's game) and Penn's Clark Slajchert (17.1 entering Saturday). Dingle's 24.2 points per game were also second nationally. The Big Green held the three to a combined 29 points — 31.8 points fewer than their scoring averages entering (which was 60.8). Dingle was held to a season-low 14 points, breaking a streak of 13 straight games scoring 20+ points. Slajchert was held to eight points while Ledlum was held to seven points (which tied a season low). Ledlum scored Harvard's first seven points of the game, but was held scoreless for the remainder of the contest. Foul trouble played a role, but even so, was held scoreless for the final 11:43 of his time on the court.

Follow Along
Friday and Saturday's games will be streamed on ESPN+ with Bob Lipman and former Dartmouth head coach Dave Faucher on the call. There will also be an audio broadcast on DartmouthSports.com with Justin McIsaac and Bill Murphy on the call.

What's Ahead?
Following this weekend, the Big Green return home next Saturday, Feb. 11 to host Princeton at 2 p.m.