Since the 95th Academy Award airs Sunday night, here are my choices for the Ivy Madness Oscars from day two of the Ivy League Tournament:
Best Performance by a Female Basketball Player in a Supporting Role: Katie Krupa, Harvard (F-y., F – Morton, Ill.)
The backup forward was forced into extended action when starting forward Elena Rodriguez picked up her second foul with 2:48 left in the first quarter of the women’s championship game. Krupa rose to the occasion, helping to hold Princeton to only five points in the second quarter. She also scored six points on 3-for-4 shooting.
Best Performance by a Male Basketball Player in a Supporting Role: Matt Knowling, Yale (Jr., F – Ellington, Conn.)
The All-Ivy first-teamer came off the bench and contributed six points and a game-high six assists as Yale dispatched Cornell, 80-60, in the semifinal round of the men’s tournament Saturday afternoon.
Best Director: Carla Berube, Princeton
Berube directed the Tigers to a comeback victory in the women’s championship game after trailing Harvard by 11 points in the second half.
Best Costume: The Princeton Tiger
The iconic Princeton mascot did yeoman’s work mingling with the crowd and posing for photos with students, children, and other fans attending the games on Saturday at Jadwin Gym.
Best Original Score: Ellie Mitchell, Princeton (Jr., F – Chevy Chase, Md.)
The two-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year made her most important contribution on Saturday by scoring the game-winning basket in the women’s championship game. Moments later, she calmly sank two clinching free throws despite a season average of 40% from the charity stripe.
Best Song: “Celebration,” Kool & the Gang
The PA system at Jadwin played this joyful 1980 tune while members of the Princeton women’s team danced at center court to celebrate their hard-fought tournament championship.
Best Actress: Carrie Moore, Harvard
The first-year coach of the Crimson women managed to keep her composure (barely) during the postgame press conference for the women’s championship game as she attempted to describe her feelings about star senior McKenzie Forbes, who played her last game in a Harvard uniform in the loss to Princeton Saturday.
Best Actor: Keeshawn Kellman, Princeton (Sr., F – Allentown, Pa.)
The Tigers forward drew a critical charging foul on Penn’s Nick Spinoso with 1:43 left in the second semifinal Saturday with Princeton clinging to a tenuous one-point lead. Though some would have preferred a no-call in that situation, Kellman did a good job of selling the contact and helping his team hold on to win.
Best Visual Effects: The Jadwin Gym crowd
The scene at Jadwin Gym during day two of Ivy Madness featured a packed house, especially for the matinee clash between Penn and Princeton. The strong turnout and enthusiastic fan support for all of the teams who played Saturday was a win for the Ivy League and host Princeton University.
Best Picture: The Princeton women’s basketball team posing at center court with the Ivy League Tournament Championship Trophy
The Princeton women overcame an 11-point deficit to earn the program’s 10th trip to the NCAA Tournament.