TJ Power scored 44 points, including a pair of 3-pointers in the final seven seconds of regulation, as Penn advanced to the NCAA Tournament with an 88-84 victory over Yale in the Ivy League championship game Sunday at Ithaca, N.Y.
Power added 14 rebounds and went 14 of 26 from the floor (7 of 14 from 3-point range) in the first game of at least 40 points in the history of the Ivy League tournament. Cam Thrower added 19 points for the Quakers (18-11).
Trevor Mullin scored 22 points for the Bulldogs (24-6), while Casey Simmons, Nick Townsend and Isaac Celiscar each added 17. Celiscar had 11 rebounds.
Yale led 73-69 on two free throws from Mullin with 12 seconds remaining before Power answered with a contested 3-pointer to get Penn within 73-72. Mullin made two more free throws with five seconds remaining before Power answered again on a 3-pointer with a second left for a 75-75 tie.
Power added four more points in overtime, all on free throws, as Penn advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 while under first-year head coach Fran McCaffery, and just the second time since 2008.
VCU 70, Dayton 62
Nyk Lewis amassed game highs of 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead the second-seeded Rams (27-7) to victory over the fourth-seeded Flyers (23-11) in the Atlantic 10 tournament championship game in Pittsburgh.
The Rams defended their A-10 tournament title and will compete in their 21st NCAA Tournament. Terence Hill Jr. added 14 points and Michael Belle chipped in with 12. VCU only committed five turnovers and outscored Dayton 13-4 in points off turnovers.
Dayton, who had knocked off top-seeded Saint Louis on Saturday, was led by Javon Bennett, who tallied 14 points. Amael L’Etang added 12. VCU never trailed, utilizing a key 16-4 run late in the first half to lead 40-25 at halftime.
South Florida 70, Wichita State 55
Wes Enis scored a game-high 19 points and the top-seeded Bulls qualified for the NCAA Tournament in coach Bryan Hodgson’s first season by handling business against the second-seeded Shockers to win the American Conference title in Birmingham, Ala.
Izaiyah Nelson chipped in 13 points and six rebounds and Josh Omojafo chipped in 10 points for South Florida (25-8), which never trailed after an early 4-2 Wichita State lead. The Bulls head to their first NCAA Tournament since 2012 when they were still members of the Big East.
Dillon Battie led with 15 points and Will Berg scored 10 for Wichita State (22-11), which drew within 38-37 early in the second half before South Florida methodically built a double-digit lead.
–Field Level Media
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