NEW YORK -- Pennsylvania became the first team to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament, getting 26 points from Ibrahim Jaaber and 24 from Tim Begley in an 80-72 victory over Columbia on Saturday night that clinched the Ivy League title.
Pennsylvania (17-8, 10-1 Ivy) won the Ivy for the fifth time since 1999, and still has three league games remaining.
Freshman John Baumann scored seven points in the last three minutes and finished with 17 for the Lions (12-13, 3-9), who lost their eighth straight game. Matt Preston added 11 points.
Steve Danley's layup with three seconds left in the first half broke the last tie in the game and gave the Quakers a 35-33 lead at the break.
Penn then scored 22 of the first 26 points in the second half, building a 20-point lead with 9:39 remaining. Jan Fikiel, who finished with 14 points, scored eight in the run.
Columbia was ahead three times in the first half, but never led by more than three points.
Penn held a 16-point lead with 2:59 remaining, when Baumann led a late flurry that drew the Lions within 79-71 with 28.1 seconds remaining. The teams traded free throws to close out the scoring.
Begley and Fikiel are Penn's only seniors and have played in the NCAA Tournament.
