Yale men’s basketball team rallied from behind to defeat No. 4 seed Auburn in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday night, marking the second tournament win in the program’s history.
Junior John Poulakidas led the charge for the 13th-seeded Bulldogs with 28 points to help Yale come back from a 10-point deficit midway through the second half of the game. Solid defense in the final minutes of the game gave way to Yale’s 78-76 victory.
Head coach James Jones of the Yale Bulldogs celebrates with his team in the locker room after a 78-76 victory against the Auburn Tigers in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena on March 22, 2024, in Spokane, Washington. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
“I don’t know if that’s the best win in Yale basketball history, but I will tell you that’s the best basketball team that we’ve beaten in Yale basketball history, as far as I’m concerned,” Yale coach James Jones said in the postgame presser.
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“Princeton made the Sweet 16 last year, and we were at home, they beat us in the championship, and each and every one of the guys in the locker room were just itching to get our opportunity,” senior August Mahoney, who added 14 points, said.
“Our opportunity presented itself. We know how good we are, so we believed.”
For the second straight year, an Ivy League team has beaten a Power Five champion in the first round. Last year, it was Princeton toppling Arizona. This year, Yale carried on the tradition.
Yale guard Yassine Gharram (24) stands on a table after celebrating with fans after Yale upset Auburn in a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Spokane, Wash., on Friday, March 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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“Every single person in that locker room believed that we were going to get it done, and we’re not done yet,” Mahoney added.
Auburn’s loss was highlighted by the absence of Chad Baker-Mazara, who was ejected just three minutes into the contest for throwing an elbow. He was assessed a flagrant 2 foul.
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl admitted that it was a flagrant, but he questioned whether it rose to the level worthy of an ejection.
Auburn players sit on the bench react toward the end of the second half of a first-round college basketball game against Yale in the NCAA Tournament in Spokane, Wash., on Friday, March 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)
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“It was inappropriate. Clearly a flagrant 1. The fact that it was elevated to a flagrant 2 was a decision that the official had to make, but it obviously had tremendous impact on the outcome,” he said.
The Bulldogs advance to the second round, where they will take on No. 5 seed San Diego State on Sunday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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