The Bulldogs of Yale, and winners of the Ivy League, wanted more than just an invitation to the Tournament; they wanted a win.  In Yale’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1962, the Bulldogs were looking for their first ever NCAA Tournament win, and a win they would receive.  Sophomore guard Makai Mason had a team and career high 31 points as he led his team over the Bears of the Big 12 conference.  Justin Sears and Brandon Sherrod were also in double figures for Yale with 18 and 10 points, respectively.  Baylor came into the game with a big height advantage on the inside and were expected to dominate the smaller and less athletic Yale on the glass, but Yale had other ideas.  The Bulldogs grabbed 36 rebounds compared to only 32 by Baylor and shot 53.1 percent from the field as they held the Bears to a mere 44.1 percent.  Senior Taurean Prince of Baylor ended his career as a Bear by dropping a team high 28 points in the losing effort.  This upset loss in the round of 64 marks the second year in a row the Bears fell to a lower-seeded opponent in the first round. Last year, Georgia State won on a three-pointer at the buzzer.

Yale moves on to the round of 32 and will face the Blue Devils of Duke University.  Makai Mason and his Bulldogs don’t seem to mind being underdogs, and underdogs are what they’ll be as they look for their second win ever in NCAA Tournament play.