Watch: Yale ends Brown's Cinderella run with buzzer-beater to win Ivy League title

Yale led by seven points early in the second half but trailed 60-54 after Brown junior guard Kino Lilly Jr. made two free throws with 27 seconds left.

However, Yale converted a pair of three-point plays on its next two possessions, while Brown went 1-of-4 on its free throws, opening the opportunity for Knowling's late-game heroics.

The win means Brown must wait at least one more year to go dancing for the first time since 1986.

The Bears were one of March's darlings after rebounding from a 6-17 record through 23 games. They entered the Ivy League championship game on a seven-game win streak, their longest under head coach Mike Martin, who took over in 2012.

Meanwhile, Yale is headed to its fourth NCAA Tournament since 2016.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi and CBS Sports' Jerry Palm had Yale as a 13-seed on Sunday morning. Kansas and Duke are potential first-round opponents as likely 4-seeds.

Yale's last (and only) win in the NCAA Tournament came in 2016 when it was a 12-seed against Baylor in the Round of 64. The Bulldogs lost their second-round matchup against the Blue Devils, who were a 4-seed that season, 71-64.