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Lipscomb edges Wichita State in NIT
April 2, 2019
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NEW YORK (AP) Garrison Mathews is the kind of player only the most die-hard basketball fans would know, his prolific scoring seldom on any sports highlight clips. With the college basketball spotlight blasted on Madison Square Garden, Mathews put the sport on notice and buried a shot in the clutch that sparked madness for tiny Lipscomb.
Mathews swished his ninth 3-pointer of the game in front of an exuberant Lipscomb bench for the lead with 1:10 left in the game to send the Bisons on their way to the NIT championship in a 71-64 win over Wichita State on Tuesday night.
''It was good to just do it for the team and kind of give us a lift,'' he said.
He carried them to the NIT final. Lipscomb will face Texas, a 58-44 semifinal winner over TCU, Thursday for the NIT title.
Mathews had been buried in obscurity for the ASUN Conference Bisons (29-7), but put on a show on national television in crunch time at Madison Square Garden. He yelled as the shot fell from beyond NBA 3-point range and the Bisons rose from the bench in jubilation. Mathews sealed the win with free throws and finished with 34 points, setting the stage for Lipscomb to play for its first NIT championship.
''People should know about us by now,'' forward Rob Marberry said. ''I think people can finally see Lipscomb's a basketball school now.''
Wichita State's Samajae Haynes-Jones stole the ball near the 3-point line and the 6-foot guard exploded for a fast break dunk that turned MSG yellow and gave the Shockers a late double-digit lead. But they faded down the stretch and one of the hottest second-half teams in basketball missed their final 10 shots and over the final 8-plus minutes to head home empty-handed.
Dexter Dennis scored 13 points and Markis McDuffie had 12 for the Shockers.
The Shockers had a solid season under coach Gregg Marshall, six years after he led the program to the Final Four. Marshall led the Shockers to the 2011 NIT championship, a springboard for the most successful era in program history. The Shockers (22-15) made their own sensational run in the NIT, beating the No. 1, 2 and 3 seeds, all on the road, just to make it to New York.
''This was a year we could have taken a big dip. I mean, a big dip,'' Marshall said. ''But we're in Madison Square Garden playing in April.''
The Shockers had their hands full against the fifth-seeded Bisons.
A year after NIT champion Penn State drew big, rowdy crowds to Madison Square Garden, the arena was nearly empty for the matchup between teams from Kansas and Tennessee. New Yorkers wasted their chance to watch Mathews, named to The Associated Press All-America honorable mention team. Mathews was named ASUN player of the year and averaged 26.3 points in the NIT. He entered with a whopping 2,429 career points and scored 44 points in an NIT quarterfinal win over North Carolina State.
He created open looks by moving without the ball and was a burst of energy in Lipscomb's first ever game against the Shockers.
Mathews hit three 3s and scored 18 points in the first half to give Lipscomb a 35-30 lead at the break. The Bisons, who lost the ASUN Tournament championship game to Liberty, looked to Mathews every chance they got. He buried a 3 on a fast break off a turnover to bring the Bisons within one, and even his misses worked in their favor. He missed on a long 3, but Ahsan Asadullah scored on an uncontested tip for a five-point lead.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
The NIT was a bit of a mad scientist in the college basketball lab. The 3-point line was extended to the same distance used by FIBA (22 feet, 1.75 inches). The free throw lane matched the NBA and was widened from 12 to 16 feet. The shot clock also reset to 20 seconds after an offensive rebound instead of the full 30 seconds, as well as other minor changes.
The experimental rules will help the NCAA determine if a marginally more difficult 3-point shot will be effective for college basketball and if widening the lane will reduce physicality and create more driving opportunities.
''The style of play in men's college basketball is healthy and appealing, but the leadership governing the game is interested in keeping the playing rules contemporary and trending favorably,'' said Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball.
UP NEXT
Lipscomb: Faces Texas for the NIT title Thursday night at MSG.
******************************
Marshall wins, but Hampton cashes
April 2, 2019
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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) Jon Elmore scored 23 of his 28 points in the first half and Marshall held on to beat Hampton 80-78 in the semifinals of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament on Tuesday night.
Elmore had 23 points, five rebounds and five assists in the first half as Marshall built a 51-38 lead. He was 7 of 12 from the field, including 6 of 9 from distance. Marshall made 11 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes and finished with 13.
Hampton trailed by 13 points early in the second half, but rallied to take its first lead, 65-64, since the 5:52 mark of the first half.
C.J. Burks made a go-ahead transition layup following a steal to give Marshall a 76-74 lead and he added four straight free throws from there to seal it.
Burks scored 10 of Marshall's final 11 points and finished with 17. Jannson Williams added 12 points for Marshall (22-14), which will host the championship game on Thursday night.
Trevond Barnes had 18 points for the Pirates (18-17). Kalin Fisher added 16 points. Jermaine Marrow had 15 points.
****************************
Green Bay nips Texas Southern in OT
April 2, 2019
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GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) Sandy Cohen III scored 23 points as Green Bay narrowly beat Texas Southern 87-86 in overtime in the semifinals of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament on Tuesday night.
Cohen stole it at the top of the 3-point arc and raced the other way for a dunk and free throw for an 85-82 lead with 1:10 to go.
Jeremy Combs made a put-back shot with eight seconds left to give Texas Southern an 86-85 lead but after a timeout, Cohen dribbled down the court and sank a free-throw line jumper at 1.5. The Tigers' heave at the buzzer didn't hit the rim.
Trevian Bell added a career-high 21 points for the Phoenix (21-16). Tank Hemphill had 12 points and Cohen reached 1,000 points in just his 59th game with Green Bay.
Green Bay will play at Marshall on Thursday night in the championship game.
Tyrik Armstrong had 23 points for the Tigers (24-14). Combs added 21 points. Devocio Butler had 19 points.
*************************
Texas takes care of TCU, 58-44
April 2, 2019
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NEW YORK (AP) Kerwin Roach II is the Texas guard's name, the numerals not part of the running tally marker for his season suspensions.
Back on the roster, Roach stayed in the game and kept the Longhorns in the hunt to end the season in New York with a championship.
Roach turned a season marred by suspension into a can't-miss performance in the first half to help Texas get comfortable at Madison Square Garden and beat TCU 58-44 on Tuesday night for a spot in the NIT championship.
''It was tough for our team when he went out,'' coach Shaka Smart said. ''It was certainly tough for him. He was really, really down and disappointed in himself.''
''But, I told him, you're going to get to play again.''
He's got one more game left, and the Longhorns (20-16) will play Lipscomb for the title on Thursday night at the Garden.
Roach served two suspensions this season and was pained as he had to watch senior night festivities from the bench. Roach was reinstated for the Big 12 Tournament and led Texas to its fourth straight win in the NIT. He scored 13 of his 22 points in the first half to spark the Longhorns to a 15-point lead, and they held on against pesky TCU (23-14). Texas can win its first NIT title since 1978.
TCU had swept the season series against Texas and failed to go 3-0 against its in-state and Big 12 rival. Texas still has won 18 of the last 25 games against the Horned Frogs.
TCU coach Jamie Dixon insisted his team (with a 7-11 mark in the Big 12) was snubbed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee and used it as a motivating force for the program. Fueled by the snub, the Horned Frogs stormed past Sam Houston State, Nebraska and Creighton to get to New York.
Dixon has led a traditionally downtrodden program in TCU into a mid-pack Big 12 winner, one reason why speculation has swirled that UCLA has targeted him as a candidate for its vacancy.
''I have a great job. I'm very lucky where I'm at,'' Dixon said, dismissing UCLA questions.
Alex Robinson, who led TCU with 12 points, said Dixon made postseason play possible in Fort Worth, Texas.
''I remember before he got here, we were a really separated bunch,'' he said. ''He made sure we came together and played together.''
The Horned Frogs won the NIT in 2017 and made the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time in 20 years. The push for back-to-back tourney bids fell just short, and so did a second-half run that whittled the lead to five.
Roach dunked off a beautiful backdoor cut and Dylan Osetkowski scored a baseline layup off a pick-and-roll to give Texas breathing room and end the threat. Roach had averaged 15.7 points in the NIT, Osetkowski had 15.3 points and the duo delivered again in the semifinal. Osetkowski, who had 13 points and nine rebounds, connected on a late 3 that made it a 14-point lead and left only a few hundred burnt orange cheering faithful in the house.
Smart has only said that Roach violated university policy for the stretch-run suspension of his leading scorer (14.8 points). Roach had also been suspended for the season opener and the 2016 season opener. Against TCU, Roach hit his only 3 and made 6 of 8 shots overall in the first half for 13 points and a 31-17 lead.
The Longhorns went 1-4 in his absence over his most recent suspension ended before the Big 12 Tournament.
Three career suspensions, and one more chance to cut down the nets.
''He's a guy that's got a level of athleticism that allows him to get by his man and put the other team in a bit of a bind,'' Smart said.
GET COMFY AGAIN
Texas returns to MSG in November - along with Duke, Georgetown and California - to play in the Empire Classic.
UP NEXT
It's a Thursday night matchup against Lipscomb in the NIT championship. Garrison Mathews swished his ninth 3-pointer of the game in front of an exuberant Lipscomb bench for the lead with 1:10 left in the game to send the Bisons past Wichita State 71-64 . Mathews finished with 34 points.
April 2, 2019
ShareFacebookTwitterDiggMySpace
NEW YORK (AP) Garrison Mathews is the kind of player only the most die-hard basketball fans would know, his prolific scoring seldom on any sports highlight clips. With the college basketball spotlight blasted on Madison Square Garden, Mathews put the sport on notice and buried a shot in the clutch that sparked madness for tiny Lipscomb.
Mathews swished his ninth 3-pointer of the game in front of an exuberant Lipscomb bench for the lead with 1:10 left in the game to send the Bisons on their way to the NIT championship in a 71-64 win over Wichita State on Tuesday night.
''It was good to just do it for the team and kind of give us a lift,'' he said.
He carried them to the NIT final. Lipscomb will face Texas, a 58-44 semifinal winner over TCU, Thursday for the NIT title.
Mathews had been buried in obscurity for the ASUN Conference Bisons (29-7), but put on a show on national television in crunch time at Madison Square Garden. He yelled as the shot fell from beyond NBA 3-point range and the Bisons rose from the bench in jubilation. Mathews sealed the win with free throws and finished with 34 points, setting the stage for Lipscomb to play for its first NIT championship.
''People should know about us by now,'' forward Rob Marberry said. ''I think people can finally see Lipscomb's a basketball school now.''
Wichita State's Samajae Haynes-Jones stole the ball near the 3-point line and the 6-foot guard exploded for a fast break dunk that turned MSG yellow and gave the Shockers a late double-digit lead. But they faded down the stretch and one of the hottest second-half teams in basketball missed their final 10 shots and over the final 8-plus minutes to head home empty-handed.
Dexter Dennis scored 13 points and Markis McDuffie had 12 for the Shockers.
The Shockers had a solid season under coach Gregg Marshall, six years after he led the program to the Final Four. Marshall led the Shockers to the 2011 NIT championship, a springboard for the most successful era in program history. The Shockers (22-15) made their own sensational run in the NIT, beating the No. 1, 2 and 3 seeds, all on the road, just to make it to New York.
''This was a year we could have taken a big dip. I mean, a big dip,'' Marshall said. ''But we're in Madison Square Garden playing in April.''
The Shockers had their hands full against the fifth-seeded Bisons.
A year after NIT champion Penn State drew big, rowdy crowds to Madison Square Garden, the arena was nearly empty for the matchup between teams from Kansas and Tennessee. New Yorkers wasted their chance to watch Mathews, named to The Associated Press All-America honorable mention team. Mathews was named ASUN player of the year and averaged 26.3 points in the NIT. He entered with a whopping 2,429 career points and scored 44 points in an NIT quarterfinal win over North Carolina State.
He created open looks by moving without the ball and was a burst of energy in Lipscomb's first ever game against the Shockers.
Mathews hit three 3s and scored 18 points in the first half to give Lipscomb a 35-30 lead at the break. The Bisons, who lost the ASUN Tournament championship game to Liberty, looked to Mathews every chance they got. He buried a 3 on a fast break off a turnover to bring the Bisons within one, and even his misses worked in their favor. He missed on a long 3, but Ahsan Asadullah scored on an uncontested tip for a five-point lead.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
The NIT was a bit of a mad scientist in the college basketball lab. The 3-point line was extended to the same distance used by FIBA (22 feet, 1.75 inches). The free throw lane matched the NBA and was widened from 12 to 16 feet. The shot clock also reset to 20 seconds after an offensive rebound instead of the full 30 seconds, as well as other minor changes.
The experimental rules will help the NCAA determine if a marginally more difficult 3-point shot will be effective for college basketball and if widening the lane will reduce physicality and create more driving opportunities.
''The style of play in men's college basketball is healthy and appealing, but the leadership governing the game is interested in keeping the playing rules contemporary and trending favorably,'' said Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball.
UP NEXT
Lipscomb: Faces Texas for the NIT title Thursday night at MSG.
******************************
Marshall wins, but Hampton cashes
April 2, 2019
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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) Jon Elmore scored 23 of his 28 points in the first half and Marshall held on to beat Hampton 80-78 in the semifinals of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament on Tuesday night.
Elmore had 23 points, five rebounds and five assists in the first half as Marshall built a 51-38 lead. He was 7 of 12 from the field, including 6 of 9 from distance. Marshall made 11 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes and finished with 13.
Hampton trailed by 13 points early in the second half, but rallied to take its first lead, 65-64, since the 5:52 mark of the first half.
C.J. Burks made a go-ahead transition layup following a steal to give Marshall a 76-74 lead and he added four straight free throws from there to seal it.
Burks scored 10 of Marshall's final 11 points and finished with 17. Jannson Williams added 12 points for Marshall (22-14), which will host the championship game on Thursday night.
Trevond Barnes had 18 points for the Pirates (18-17). Kalin Fisher added 16 points. Jermaine Marrow had 15 points.
****************************
Green Bay nips Texas Southern in OT
April 2, 2019
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GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) Sandy Cohen III scored 23 points as Green Bay narrowly beat Texas Southern 87-86 in overtime in the semifinals of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament on Tuesday night.
Cohen stole it at the top of the 3-point arc and raced the other way for a dunk and free throw for an 85-82 lead with 1:10 to go.
Jeremy Combs made a put-back shot with eight seconds left to give Texas Southern an 86-85 lead but after a timeout, Cohen dribbled down the court and sank a free-throw line jumper at 1.5. The Tigers' heave at the buzzer didn't hit the rim.
Trevian Bell added a career-high 21 points for the Phoenix (21-16). Tank Hemphill had 12 points and Cohen reached 1,000 points in just his 59th game with Green Bay.
Green Bay will play at Marshall on Thursday night in the championship game.
Tyrik Armstrong had 23 points for the Tigers (24-14). Combs added 21 points. Devocio Butler had 19 points.
*************************
Texas takes care of TCU, 58-44
April 2, 2019
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NEW YORK (AP) Kerwin Roach II is the Texas guard's name, the numerals not part of the running tally marker for his season suspensions.
Back on the roster, Roach stayed in the game and kept the Longhorns in the hunt to end the season in New York with a championship.
Roach turned a season marred by suspension into a can't-miss performance in the first half to help Texas get comfortable at Madison Square Garden and beat TCU 58-44 on Tuesday night for a spot in the NIT championship.
''It was tough for our team when he went out,'' coach Shaka Smart said. ''It was certainly tough for him. He was really, really down and disappointed in himself.''
''But, I told him, you're going to get to play again.''
He's got one more game left, and the Longhorns (20-16) will play Lipscomb for the title on Thursday night at the Garden.
Roach served two suspensions this season and was pained as he had to watch senior night festivities from the bench. Roach was reinstated for the Big 12 Tournament and led Texas to its fourth straight win in the NIT. He scored 13 of his 22 points in the first half to spark the Longhorns to a 15-point lead, and they held on against pesky TCU (23-14). Texas can win its first NIT title since 1978.
TCU had swept the season series against Texas and failed to go 3-0 against its in-state and Big 12 rival. Texas still has won 18 of the last 25 games against the Horned Frogs.
TCU coach Jamie Dixon insisted his team (with a 7-11 mark in the Big 12) was snubbed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee and used it as a motivating force for the program. Fueled by the snub, the Horned Frogs stormed past Sam Houston State, Nebraska and Creighton to get to New York.
Dixon has led a traditionally downtrodden program in TCU into a mid-pack Big 12 winner, one reason why speculation has swirled that UCLA has targeted him as a candidate for its vacancy.
''I have a great job. I'm very lucky where I'm at,'' Dixon said, dismissing UCLA questions.
Alex Robinson, who led TCU with 12 points, said Dixon made postseason play possible in Fort Worth, Texas.
''I remember before he got here, we were a really separated bunch,'' he said. ''He made sure we came together and played together.''
The Horned Frogs won the NIT in 2017 and made the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time in 20 years. The push for back-to-back tourney bids fell just short, and so did a second-half run that whittled the lead to five.
Roach dunked off a beautiful backdoor cut and Dylan Osetkowski scored a baseline layup off a pick-and-roll to give Texas breathing room and end the threat. Roach had averaged 15.7 points in the NIT, Osetkowski had 15.3 points and the duo delivered again in the semifinal. Osetkowski, who had 13 points and nine rebounds, connected on a late 3 that made it a 14-point lead and left only a few hundred burnt orange cheering faithful in the house.
Smart has only said that Roach violated university policy for the stretch-run suspension of his leading scorer (14.8 points). Roach had also been suspended for the season opener and the 2016 season opener. Against TCU, Roach hit his only 3 and made 6 of 8 shots overall in the first half for 13 points and a 31-17 lead.
The Longhorns went 1-4 in his absence over his most recent suspension ended before the Big 12 Tournament.
Three career suspensions, and one more chance to cut down the nets.
''He's a guy that's got a level of athleticism that allows him to get by his man and put the other team in a bit of a bind,'' Smart said.
GET COMFY AGAIN
Texas returns to MSG in November - along with Duke, Georgetown and California - to play in the Empire Classic.
UP NEXT
It's a Thursday night matchup against Lipscomb in the NIT championship. Garrison Mathews swished his ninth 3-pointer of the game in front of an exuberant Lipscomb bench for the lead with 1:10 left in the game to send the Bisons past Wichita State 71-64 . Mathews finished with 34 points.
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