Providence, R.I. — Many students, but certainly not all, at Princeton Day School dream of attending an Ivy League school, and most follow the much-anticipated basketball competitions of both Ivy Madness and March Madness. The Ivy League Men’s Basketball Tournament, known as Ivy Madness, brings together the top four of the eight Ivy League teams that battle for a ticket “to dance” in the NCAA March Madness tournament. This year, Ivy Madness was held on Brown University’s campus in Providence, Rhode Island, with #1 Yale, #2 Cornell, #3 Dartmouth, and #4 Princeton securing the coveted spots. Ivy Madness took place over the weekend of March 15-16, featuring two semifinal games and a championship game. On Saturday, Princeton faced Yale in the first matchup at 11:00 am, followed by the Cornell-Dartmouth game at 2:00 pm. The championship game was held on Sunday, March 16, at noon. The Pizzitola Sports Center on Brown’s campus was sold out for all three of the men’s basketball games throughout the weekend.
The first game featured a highly anticipated match between the Yale Bulldogs (20-7,13-1) and the Princeton Tigers (19-10, 8-6). This was the third meeting of the season for these two teams, with Yale having defeated Princeton in both previous encounters by a large margin. Princeton had a slow start, unable to score for the first five minutes of the game and falling into a 0-12 hole. After that point, the Tigers spent the rest of the game clawing back at Yale’s lead. Despite struggling with their shooting, particularly from beyond the arc, the Bulldogs managed to retain the lead for most of the game, thanks in large part to John Poulakidas, who scored a team-high 13 points, and the standout performance from Bez Mbeng (12 points), the three-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year. Nick Townsend also made Yale’s lead possible, contributing 12 points and 12 rebounds to the Bulldogs.
The Tigers, who had been plagued by turnovers and shooting issues throughout the season, gave an impressive late-game comeback. With under three minutes left, the Tigers took their first lead of the game when CJ Happy scored a corner three-pointer, making it 54-53. After that, the game was a back-and-forth battle before Mbeng helped Yale reclaim the lead after scoring a tough basket and a free throw. Ultimately, Princeton was given one last shot during the final seconds of the game, and the ball was in point guard Xaivian Lee’s hands. Contested by Mbeng, Lee’s three-point attempt rattled off the rim as the clock expired, giving the Bulldogs another day in Providence. Princeton’s fan–favorite, Xaivian Lee (14 points) went 3-10 behind the arc and fought hard all game long, and his team was just one shot away from the championship. Lee later reflected during his postgame press conference, “I gotta make that shot.” Princeton’s coach, Mitch Henderson acknowledged the fans, “great crowd, Princeton basketball travels really well [and] I’m proud about that.”
Princeton’s Xaivian Lee shoots over Bez Mbeng in the final seconds of the semifinal game. Photo Credit: Andrew Thallemer
During the second semifinal, Dartmouth (14-14, 8-6) took on Cornell (18-10, 9-5) in a high-scoring Ivy Madness showdown. Dartmouth started slow, going 1-6 in FG attempts early, while Cornell built momentum behind a strong shooting performance. Brandon Mitchell-Day kept Dartmouth competitive, making 6 of 7 field goals at one point. However, Cornell’s efficient offense, shooting 22-for-31 on two-pointers and hitting 10 threes, proved to be too much for the Big Green. Dartmouth cut the deficit to nine late, but Cornell responded with clutch threes to seal the win, led by junior AK Okereke who had a total of 25 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocked shots.
When Cornell took on Yale at the Ivy League Championship on Sunday, the Cornell Big Red came out strong, and with AK Okereke (22 pts), Jake Fiegen (11 pts), and Nazir Williams (20 pts) led an early offensive surge that kept Cornell ahead for much of the first half. However, Yale responded with a late run from Casey Simmonds (13 pts) and Nick Townsend (19 pts), which gave the Bulldogs a 37-32 lead at the half. This momentum carried into the second half when the Bulldogs went on an 11-0 run, led by sharpshooter John Poulakidas (25 pts). Cornell battled back and closed the gap in the final minutes, but Yale did not give up the lead. Townsend and Simmonds made clutch defensive stops and key baskets before Poulakidas drilled a dagger three-pointer to put the game out of reach, securing the Bulldogs’ fourth Ivy League title (and March Madness bid) in the last five years.
During the NCAA tournament on March 20, the Texas A&M Aggies beat the Yale Bulldogs 80-71, ending the Bulldogs’ season. However, the team’s four seniors: Poulakidas, Mbeng, Molloy, and Rice, certainly have a season to be satisfied with, as they made March Madness for the second straight year.
