NIT Roundup

Georgetown, Texas Tech punch tickets to Big Apple

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- Georgetown earned a trip to the NIT semifinals the hard way.

Playing their third straight road game in the tournament, the Hoyas knocked off North Carolina 79-74 Wednesday to advance to New York.

Georgetown (18-14) will play the winner of the Minnesota-Temple game, to be played Thursday night in Philadelphia. The Hoyas also beat Tennessee and Providence on the road in the first two rounds.

Drew Hall's 3-pointer with 58.2 seconds left broke a 70-70 tie and halted North Carolina's furious late rally. Georgetown then made six straight free throws over the final 16.6 seconds to seal it.

Gerald Riley scored 11 of his 22 points during a 22-4 run midway through the second half to break open a tight game and help deny the Tar Heels (19-16) a 20-win season one year after going a program-worst 8-20.

Mike Sweetney was hounded all night by North Carolina's trapping defense, but one of the best players in the nation still managed 22 points and seven rebounds as Georgetown shot 52 percent.

The Tar Heels went up 48-40 with 15:42 left before a 22-4 run gave Georgetown a 62-52 lead with 8:23 left. Riley, who had just three points in the first half, hit a shot in the lane and two 3-pointers in a two-minute span during the spurt.

North Carolina then rode Rashad McCants over a 3 1/2-minute span late. The freshman scored 14 of his team's 16 points as his shot in the lane with 2:03 remaining tied it.

But he couldn't complete the three-point play, and after each team missed on their next possession, Hall sank his 3-pointer from the right wing.

Riley and Sweetney combined to go 16-for-26 from the field.

North Carolina turned it over 18 times after a season-low eight in a win over Wyoming on Monday night, and was outscored 25-9 on points off turnovers.

McCants, who was 10-of-13, led the Tar Heels with 26 points, while Jawad Williams added 19.

North Carolina got off to another fast start, going 8-for-11 to go up by eight before stalling offensively in the final five minutes of the half after Georgetown went to a zone.

Sweetney had eight points over the final eight minutes of the period as the Hoyas grabbed a two-point lead at the break.

Texas Tech 80, Georgia Tech 72

Knight, in his second year at Texas Tech, took his Army team to the NIT three times and his Indiana team twice. His 1979 Indiana team won the tournament, beating Purdue 53-52.

The public address system played Frank Sinatra singing New York, New York as the fans clapped and cheered, a sendoff to New York City where the tournament finishes up.

Knight also won three NCAA titles in his 29 years at Indiana.

It is the first time the Red Raiders have ever been one of the final four teams in any postseason tournament. They got to the NCAA's Sweet 16 in 1996 and last played in the NIT in 1995.

Knight took to the microphone after the game to pay tribute to the band, cheerleaders and the seniors on the team.

He also honored Jack Dale, who has been calling Texas Tech basketball games on the radio for 50 years and is retiring after the season. Earlier in the season, Dale had told Knight he had never been to Madison Square Garden

"So that's a hell of an anniversary present," Knight said to the crowd and to Dale. "Let's get ready to go to New York."

Texas Tech (21-12) used an 18-3 in a four-minute stretch midway through the second half to break the game open. Up to the 13:04 mark in the second half, there were five ties and 12 lead changes.

The Red Raiders took a 65-52 lead, it's largest of the game, on two free throws by Robert Tomaszek with eight minutes left. Georgia Tech never got closer than four and that came on 3-pointer by B.J. Elder with 1:03 remaining in the game.

Robert Tomaszek scored 19 points and Kasib Powell added 15 for Texas Tech.

Elder and Chris Bosh each scored 21 points for the Yellow Jackets.

Texas Tech got off to an early lead but the Yellow Jackets took a 15-14 lead on a dunk by Bosh at the 10:55 mark of the first half. The game stayed close for the remainder of the half with neither team leading by more than four points.

Tech will play the winner of the UAB-St. John's on Tuesday night.

 

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