Steve Moundou-Missi was the Ivy League’s defensive player of the year, but it was his offense that helped Harvard capture the conference title in dramatic fashion.
The senior forward knocked down a jumper with 7.2 seconds remaining in a one-game playoff versus rival Yale to lift the Crimson to a 53-51 win and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.
The Ivy League doesn’t have a conference tournament, but both schools finished with 11-3 league records, forcing them into Saturday’s winner-take-all scenario in Philadelphia.
Yale was just seconds away from securing the Ivy League title in their last regular-season game against Dartmouth, but lost on a game-winning layup at the buzzer. The Elis haven’t made the Big Dance since 1962, while Harvard advances to the tournament for the fourth consecutive year.
Yale had the chance for some buzzer-beating drama of its own after Moundou-Missi’s heroics, as senior guard Javier Duren went the length of the floor and got a good look on a potential game-tying runner in the lane. His shot just rimmed out, though, and a tip-in attempt fell short to give Harvard the victory.
The Crimson, who will learn their NCAA tourney opponent Sunday, made waves as a 12-seed last season by upsetting 5-seed Cincinnati in the opening round.
Thumbnail photo via Michael Perez/Associated Press
