Yale Returns to the NCAA Tournament After Nail-Biter Ivy Madness Victory Over Brown

By Joe Budzelek (@stf_ncaa)

For the fourth time in eight seasons, the Yale Bulldogs will be packing their dancing shoes after they defeated Brown 62-to-61 in the thrilling back-and-forth Ivy Madness final on Sunday afternoon at Columbia's Levien Gym.

With a six-point deficit staring in Yale’s face with just 27 seconds remaining, clutch last-minute buckets from a Bez Mbeng lay-up and a John Poulakidas three-pointer, paired with an inability to convert from the charity stripe from Brown’s forwards Nana Owusu-Anane and and Malachi Ndur, set up Yale’s last possession as the deficit narrowed to just one point.

With a foul to give, Brown wing Aaron Cooley stopped the clock with six seconds to go, allowing Yale to set up a last second set-up from Mbeng to senior forward Matt Knowling as his short jumper erupted the team’s end-of-game celebration.

Yale head coach James Jones flanked by senior leaders August Mahoney and Matt Knowling

“Matt’s a special player. He’s a winner,” said Yale head coach James Jones, “You just feel comfortable when he’s got the ball. He’s going to make the right decision.” Finishing the season with, according to Ken Pomeroy, the second highest offensive efficiency rating in the Ivy League, it comes as no surprise that the steady veteran finished the tournament with a combined 23 points (11-for-22 shooting), 12 rebounds and 8 assists and just one turnover. 

Yale junior guard John Poulakidas (#4) getting double-teamed on the perimeter by Brown center Nana Owusu-Anane (#31) and guard Kimo Ferarri (#23)

Scoring only four points in the first half, junior guard John Poulakidas propelled Yale’s second half offensive attack by scoring 11 points in the first ten minutes of the second half, including his clutch three with 14 seconds to go. Senior guard August Mahoney (15 points, 5 rebounds, 3-for-4 from three) was the only other Yale player to convert from the perimeter.

A spent August Mahoney during a post-game, pre-press conference respite.

Yale’s other two starters, Danny Wolf and Bez Mbeng, were both stifled on the offensive end, but made their impact in other ways. Defended tightly by Brown’s frontcourt trio, Wolf finished with only nine points, but secured 13 rebounds and swatted four blocks. Brown entered the game with the highest offensive rebounding rate in the Ivy League and they hit just half of their shot attempts from inside the arc, so Wolf’s ten defensive rebounds were essential in preventing Brown’s second-chance buckets. For example, starting center Nana Owusu-Anane finished with a season-low three points, a full dozen points below his season average. Playing the entire game, Mbeng’s offensive creativity, defensive intensity and overall energy was a spark for the Bulldogs.

Starting the season with a 6-17 record, the Brown Bears entered March Madness as the hottest team in the Ivy League, winning the previous seven games, including an overtime victory over Yale in the regular season finale. Serendipity reprised today’s matchup and Coach Jones had the Bulldogs ready: “To have them go out and execute the things that you preach in practice, I’m like a proud father.”

With only one NCAA Tournament victory to their name, the Yale is faced with a rough draw, playing as the 13-seed against 4-seed Auburn, the SEC champs who are a vastly under-seeded squad after entering the tournament with a 27-7 record and a #3 rating on EvanMiya, #4 rating on KenPom and #5 on BartTovik. One of the deepest teams in the NCAA Tournament, head coach Bruce Pearl regularly plays ten players who average at least thirteen minutes-per-game. 

On offense, the Tigers move the ball beautifully and both of their starting forwards, Johni Broome and Jaylin Williams, lead the offensive charge and can score from anywhere. One weakness of this duo is clear: Broome’s 60.2% free-throw percentage. Their elite defense possesses the lowest opponent field goal percentage in the nation while the squad does a great job eliminating three-point attempts and they protect the paint with ease (third highest block rate in the nation). Yale is at its best when they slow the tempo and that is their best strategy to cool down the Auburn Tigers, who own the nation’s eighth longest current winning streak with six straight victories.

But hey, it’s March. Embrace the Madness!