For the second time in their history, the Bearcats faced off against a Yale basketball team. Last winter the men met the Bulldogs in New Haven and lost 85-57. On Jan. 8, 2012, Baruch’s women’s basketball team experienced a similar fate, losing 80-47 in New Haven.
But longtime Baruch basketball coach Ray Rankis is doing anything but wringing his hands. “In the past few years, we have strived to play the best teams, especially those with a high academic profile, such as Yale University,” said Rankis, also Baruch’s athletics director.
These contests between Division I and Division III programs, Yale and Baruch respectively, are rare occurrences.
The visiting Bearcats battled all afternoon against the strong Ivy League opponent, but in the end, the taller and quicker Yale players powered their way to a victory.
Yale shot 38.6 percent (27-70) from the field and connected on 19 of 21 attempts en route to the victory. The Bearcats, who played as many as five freshmen in the game, shot 31.1 percent (19-61). Leading the team in scoring were junior Jessica Duleba (14 points) and freshman Francess Henry (12 points).
“We are very proud of the women’s team for their terrific heart and for the competitiveness they showed against a major Division I program,” said Rankis, who went on to predict that “this experience will pay off in the future as we continue to play bigger teams.”
Rankis and the Bearcats look forward to the next historic Ivy League contest: the men’s volleyball team faces Princeton University on Sat., Apr. 14, 2012. The first serve in Princeton, NJ, is scheduled for 7 pm. Alumni are always welcome.
For official schedules and up-to-the-minute Bearcat news, go to www.baruch.cuny.edu/athletics.