With all the close games in the league this season, it’s interesting to wonder what things would look like if the breaks that decided those games had gone the other way. Here’s how those games turned out in that bizarro world:
January 13:
Columbia 54, Princeton 53
Edwin Buffmire misses his second free throw with 0.8 seconds left and Columbia escapes Jadwin Gym with a win.
January 21:
Columbia 55, Cornell 57
Trailing by two, Dragutin Kravic’s buzzer-beating three-point attempt at Newman Arena bounces off the back of the iron.
January 27:
Dartmouth 56, Brown 53
Luke Ruscoe can’t hit the tying jumper with under ten seconds left, and Brown has to foul. John Ball hits one of two, but the Bears can’t get a desperation three-pointer to go at the buzzer.
February 4:
Harvard 81, Cornell 77
Lenny Collins misses a three-pointer with 36 seconds left and Cornell is forced to foul Harvard. The Crimson hits its free throws to put the game away.
February 10:
Princeton 58, Harvard 59
Noah Savage’s baseline jumper is just long, foiling a late Princeton rally as the Crimson pulls out back-to-back last-second wins.
Cornell 61, Brown 62
Cornell freshman Adam Gore misses the front end of a one-and-one with his team up just two. Mark MacDonald knocks down a three-pointer at the other end to give the Bears the lead. Graham Dow can’t get a rushed shot at the buzzer to fall and Cornell loses a second-straight heartbreaker.
February 11:
Princeton 46, Dartmouth 47
Scott Greenman misses the front end of a one-and-one with Princeton leading by one with 11 seconds left. At the other end, Mike Lang is fouled and hits both free throws with three seconds left to put Dartmouth up one. Princeton’s half-court prayer isn’t answered and the Tigers lose back-to-back heartbreakers on the weekend roadtrip.
February 17:
Penn 62, Columbia 59
John Baumann is whistled for a blocking foul and Mark Zoller gets a three-point play with 34 seconds left to put Penn up three. The Lions get a tip-in from Ben Nwachukwu to cut the Quaker lead to one, but Ibby Jaaber hits a pair of free throws to put Penn back up three. Mack Montgomery misses a tying three-pointer in the final seconds.
Princeton 54, Cornell 57
Scott Greenman’s long three-pointer at the buzzer comes up short, and Cornell holds on for a three-point win at Newman Arena.
February 18:
Princeton 66, Columbia 65
This time Savage’s jumper goes, and Princeton finally wins a close one, pulling out a last-second win at Columbia.
February 24:
Harvard 64, Penn 62
After Drew Housman hit both ends of a one-and-one, David Whitehurst’s layup puts Penn up just one. But Brian Cusworth’s three-pointer gives the Crimson a two-point lead with 41 seconds left. Ibby Jaaber tries a jumper with six seconds left, but can’t tie the game as Harvard wins a thriller.
Dartmouth 64, Princeton 60
Calvin Arnold’s three-pointer in the final minutes finds the bottom of the net, but Luke Owings’s can’t answer. Princeton fouls furiously down the stretch, but can’t finish off a late rally.
Here’s what your current standings look like in this alternate reality:
1. Penn 10-1
2. Harvard 7-5
Yale 7-5
4. Cornell 6-6
Dartmouth 6-6
6. Brown 5-7
7. Princeton 4-7
8. Columbia 2-10
But fortunately for Princeton and unfortunately for Harvard and Dartmouth, we don’t live in that dimension.
