PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Steve Moundou-Missi hit a 15-foot jumper with 7.2 seconds left, Wesley Saunders scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half and Harvard beat Yale 53-51 on Saturday in a one-game Ivy League playoff for its fourth straight NCAA Tournament berth.
Saunders then kept possession for Harvard on Moundou-Missi’ miss by hustling for an offensive rebound, before setting up Moundou-Missi’s go-ahead basket.
Yale’s Javier Duren missed a running layup at the buzzer as Harvard fans rushed the floor at the Palestra.
Justin Sears scored 13 points and Duren had 12 for Yale (22-10). The Bulldogs missed out on their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1962.
With Harvard (22-7) trailing by one, Saunders hit a driving layup and was fouled, completing a three-point play to give the Crimson a 51-49 lead with 1:27 left. Duren, who went 6 for 6 from the foul line in the final 4 minutes, hit two free throws to tie it at 51 with 54.6 seconds.