That changed today in Providence, just over 100 miles from their campus as the 12th seeded Bulldogs took down the 5th seeded Baylor Bears 79 to 75.
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“That kid (Mason) is cold-blooded”, said Yale senior Nick Victor, who didn’t hit a field goal, but was key on the defensive end including taking a charge in the final minute. The Bears shot just 37 percent in the second half – some were missed chip shots, but more were contested shots by a Yale team that simply did not beat itself on a single possession. Yale has opened up the gym to the public and set up a movie screen at center court for fans to watch the Bulldogs receive their first invitation to the NCAA Tournament since 1962.
Ultimately, Yale led for the final 14:06 of the contest to seal Baylor’s fate.
Mason was fouled and hit two more free throws, but Prince got free and nailed another 3-pointer that cut the lead to a point with nine seconds showing on the clock.
The Bulldogs can bask in the glow of victory for now, but they’ll face a tough test in the second round Saturday against No. 4 seed Duke in an ultimate battle of the brains.
Josh Robinson scored 24 points for the Governors (18-18), who learned quickly that the magic they leaned on to win four straight and the Ohio Valley title was no match for talent-laded Jayhawks. Instead, No. 12 seed Yale is moving on. The Bears will be especially focused after losing their composure late and falling to Georgia State in the first round previous year.
In each of their previous appearances, the closest Yale came to winning was back in 1939 when they fell by just four 71-67 to IL.
One last stop, however, allowed the Bulldogs to outlast the Bears and preserve the monumental victory.
The NCAA Tournament isn’t even a day old yet, but it has already provided us with a couple of upsets, several memorable moments, and an abundance of entertainment on a Thursday afternoon. Johnathan Motley finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.
Virginia head coach Tony Bennett is attended to after Bennett collapsed during play against Hampton during the first half of a first-round men’s college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament. Team captain Jack Montague was expelled from the university amid sexual assault allegations last month.
Georges Niang’s 28 points led the No. 3 seed Cyclones (22-11), who saw all five of their starters score in double figures.
Yale will try and slow the game down and play a much more deliberate style.
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The Yale Bulldogs earned their first NCAA Tournament win Thursday against Baylor.
