PROVIDENCE, RI – Yale hadn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1962, but unlike that team–or the 1949 or 1957 iterations–they made sure their stay would be an extended one, as the twelfth-seeded Bulldogs held on for a 79-75 upset over fifth-seeded Baylor. The Ivy League squad was fueled by a career-high 31 points from sophomore guard, Makai Mason, along with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from forward, Justin Sears.
After getting into an intrasquad altercation with fellow senior Rico Gathers early in the second half, forward Taurean Prince emerged to spark a late Bears comeback, behind 28 points on 4-of-7 shooting from behind the arc. But it wouldn’t be enough, as Baylor will head back to Waco after the first round for the second year in a row.
Yale will look to continue their Cinderella run when they square off with fourth-seeded Duke on Saturday.
Scott Graham and Donny Marshall called the action on Westwood One Sports.