Getty Image / Gregory Fisher
It is March, folks. We’ve had a ton of incredible finishes in conference tournaments the last two weeks, with the hopes and dreams of the 300-plus Division I basketball teams hanging in the balance.
That’s exactly the kind of game we got in Sunday’s Ivy League Tournament final between Yale and Brown. With a trip to the Big Dance on the line, it came down to the game’s final possession.
While Yale was the second seed in the Ivy League Tournament. Courtesy of an 11-3 conference record, Brown was an upstart as a fourth seed in the eight-team league with a lowly overall record of 12-17 coming into the tournament. But, they upset Princeton, who came in with a record of 24-3, in the first round of the four-team tournament.
The two sides played a back-and-forth game, and Brown actually took a four-point lead with 21 seconds left in the game, 61-57. But, disaster struck. Yale’s John Poulakidas made a three, and Brown’s Malachi Ndur missed a pair of free throws, given Yale a chance to win the game and head to the NCAA Tournament. Take a look.
YALE WINS AT THE BUZZER!!! 😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/FKOflA1r8q
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 17, 2024
Bez Mbeng found Matt Knowling wide open! I know that Brown had to help on the drive, but did they have to help that much? That seems crazy that they helped that much to give up a wide open four-footer.
Nevertheless, it’s the Bulldogs heading to the NCAA Tournament. After not making the NCAA Tournament between 1962 and 2016, Yale has now made it four times since. As for Brown, better luck next year.