NEW YORK — Matt Knowling hit a jumper on the buzzer and Yale closed the sport on an 8-1 run to beat Brown 62-61 within the championship recreation of the Ivy League match Sunday, sending the Bulldogs to the NCAA match for the seventh time.
Kino Lilly Jr. sank two free throws to offer the fourth-seeded Bears (13-18) a 60-54 lead with 27 seconds remaining. Bez Mbeng answered with a three-point play for No. 2 seed Yale (22-9) to make it a one-possession recreation. Nana Owusu-Anane hit the second of two free throws for Brown, however John Poulakidas buried a 3-pointer and the Bulldogs trailed 61-60 with 14 seconds left.
Poulakidas fouled Malachi Ndur, who missed two free throws to set the stage for Knowling.
It was a troublesome end for the Bears, who beat Yale 84-81 within the closing recreation of the common season. Brown received six in a row to finish the season and seize the convention tourney’s fourth and closing berth.
The Bears beat top-seeded Princeton 90-80 within the semifinals in the hunt for their first NCAA match look since 1986. Their solely different journey to the Large Dance got here in 1939.
Yale, which knocked off No. 3 seed Cornell 69-57 to succeed in the ultimate, final appeared within the NCAA tourney in 2022. The Bulldogs have received three of 5 championships because the Ivy started taking part in a four-team league match.
Knowling and August Mahoney scored seven factors apiece to information Yale to a 26-22 benefit at halftime. Lilly had seven on the break for Brown.
Yale stayed in entrance till back-to-back baskets by Ndur and Kalu Anya gave Brown a 46-44 lead with 8:22 left to play. The Bears by no means trailed from there till the ultimate shot.
Poulakidas led the Bulldogs with 18 factors, sinking 4 of 9 from 3-point vary. Mahoney added 15 factors and 5 rebounds. Knowling totaled 11 factors, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Danny Wolf had 13 rebounds to go together with 9 factors.
Lilly made three 3-pointers and scored 21 to steer Brown. Anya had 12 factors and 7 rebounds. Ndur pitched in with 12 factors, six rebounds, 4 assists and two blocks off the bench.