It didn’t take long for the underdogs to put the “Mad” in March Madness this year.
In just the fifth game of Thursday’s first-round NCAA Tournament slate, the West Region’s No. 12 seed, Yale, built up a huge lead over No. 5 seed Baylor and held on late to earn a stunning 79-75 upset win at Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a surprising lead thanks to the stellar play of Greenfield, Mass., native Makai Mason, who dropped 17 of his game-high 31 points in the first half.
Yale led by as many as 13 points late in the second half, but the Bears clawed back, going on a monster run to pull within two points thanks to athletic plays like this one from Taurean Prince.
Prince’s 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining put Baylor in a position to tie or take the lead on the game’s final possession, but guard Lester Medford coughed it up with a game-losing turnover.
Yale’s wild win was the first NCAA Tournament victory in school history, as the Bulldogs hadn’t been to the Big Dance since 1962. It did continue a recent strong showing by Ivy League schools, however, as Harvard upset Cincinnati as a No. 12 seed back in 2014.
All that certainly is cause for celebration, which is exactly what Yale did after the win.
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.
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Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
