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NIT Roundup Minnesota earns trip to NYC; St. John's wins to stay homePosted: Thursday March 27, 2003 10:28 PMNEW YORK (AP) -- Anthony Glover scored 16 points as St. John's beat Alabama-Birmingham 79-71 in an NIT quarterfinal game Thursday night. Marcus Hatten added 15 points, and Grady Reynolds had 14 to go with his 14 rebounds for the Red Storm (19-13), who will play Texas Tech in a semifinal game Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. Minnesota and Georgetown will meet in the other semifinal. The championship game is April 3. A jumper by Eric Bush brought the Blazers (21-13) within 53-52 at 8:21 of the second half, but the Red Storm took a 64-58 lead with 4:26 left when Hatten closed an 11-2 run with a fast-break layup. St. John's, winner of seven of eight, hasn't won the NIT since 1989. The Red Storm has been in the tournament a record 27 times and won a record five titles. UAB, competing in its eighth NIT, was led by Morris Finley's 25 points. Bush added 23. After Finley's 3-pointer gave the Blazers an 11-6 lead, St. John's went on a 23-7 run to move in front 29-18 at 7:40. Eric King, who closed the rally with a layup, and Elijah Ingram each had four points in the run. UAB scored the next seven points to make it 29-25, and Finley's two foul shots with 30 seconds remaining made it 34-32 at halftime.
Minnesota 63, Temple 58 OTPHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Rick Rickert scored 15 points and had 13 rebounds as Minnesota advanced to the NIT semifinals with a 63-58 overtime win over Temple on Thursday night. The Golden Gophers (19-12) return to the Final Four at Madison Square Garden in New York City for the first time since winning the NIT in 1998. Minnesota will face Georgetown on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The loss ends an improbable final six weeks for the Owls (18-16), who started the season by losing five in a row and 11 of 14, the worst beginning in program history. Temple ended the season by winning 11 of its last 14. Michael Bauer had 12 points and Maurice Hargrow and Kevin Burleson each scored 11 for Minnesota, which has won three in a row after entering the tournament with five straight losses. Brian Polk scored 19 points, David Hawkins added 14 and Keith Butler had 10 rebounds for Temple, which was 18-of-67 (30 percent) from the field. Minnesota scored the first five points of overtime, with a follow layup by Michael Bauer making it 59-54 with 1:42 left. Temple closed to within three twice but the Gophers were 7-of-12 from the foul line in the extra period to seal the win. In the final minute of regulation, the Gophers, holding a one-point lead, lost the ball out of bounds with 34.6 seconds. Hawkins made one of two free throws to tie it with 13.9 seconds remaining and a last second 3-pointer by Ben Johnson was short. After the game was tied at 36, there were five lead changes, including an 8-0 run for Minnesota with a jumper by Rickert making it 54-50 with 1:03 left. Polk followed with a 3-pointer with 49.7 seconds left to pull the Owls within one.
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