Yale Hits Buzzer Beater To Win Ivy League, Punches Ticket To NCAA Tournament

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The Madness of March is officially here! Selection Sunday is in full swing and the Yale Bulldogs kicked off the day with a buzzer-beater to officially reach the field of 68 teams for the NCAA Tournament. Brown and Yale faced off in the Ivy League Championship, the first game to tip off on Selection Sunday. 

Like with many leagues in this wild year of college basketball, the Ivy League Championship did not feature the regular season conference champion. Despite a 12-2 Ivy League record and a 24-3 record, the Princeton Tigers lost to 4th-seeded Brown in the Ivy League semifinals on Saturday. 

Interestingly, Brown lost to Princeton on Feb. 16 to fall to 6-17. No one expected that team to win anything, let alone an Ivy League Championship. But that's when the Bears started their Cinderella run. They rattled off six-straight wins to enter the conference tournament and then defeated Princeton for their seventh-straight victory. 

However, the slipper didn't quite fit. Brown had every opportunity to parlay their unlikely run into an NCAA Tournament berth. They led Yale – a team they beat on the road in the regular-season finale – by six points with under 30 seconds left. According to ESPN Analytics, the Bears had a 97% chance of winning the game at that point. 

Brown had a 97% chance to beat Yale with 27 seconds left in the Ivy League Championship.

Brown had a 97% chance to beat Yale with 27 seconds left in the Ivy League Championship.

(ESPN)

But, Yale wouldn't go down easily. Bez Mbeng hit a jumper on the ensuing possession and a Brown shooting foul led to an and-1 that Mbeng converted. Yale fouled Brown and the Bears made one of their two free throws. Bulldogs guard John Poulakidas then hit a 3 to cut the deficit to one point. 

Once again, Yale fouled and this time Brown failed to make either one of their free throws. That gave Yale a chance to win the game, and they did. 

A tough loss for Brown, but an incredibly improbable win for Yale resulted in an extremely exciting ending for college basketball fans. 

March Madness on full display! 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.