NIT Roundup : Florida Gets to Semifinals on 54-53 Win

Vernon Maxwell scored 22 points, including three free throws in the final 19 seconds, as Florida held off Southwest Missouri State, 54-53, Thursday night at Gainesville, Fla., to reach the semifinals of the NIT along with Louisiana Tech and Wyoming.

BYU plays at Ohio State tonight to determine the fourth berth in the championship round.

Florida, which had never won a postseason game before this year, took three straight games at home to earn a ticket to New York City.

The Gators (19-12), the fourth-place team in the Southeastern Conference in the regular season, were 16-1 this season at the O’Connell Center.

Florida built a 50-36 lead with 7:06 to play, but the Gators and a crowd of 10,815 started celebrating too early.

Florida committed five turnovers and got off only two shots the rest of the way. The Bears (24-8) went on a 15-2 streak to close the gap to 51-49 with 19 seconds left before Maxwell shut them off.

Louisiana Tech 64, Providence 63--Maurice Jackson and Robert Godbolt scored the Bulldogs’ last 11 points, and the Friars misfired in the final seconds at Providence, R.I.

The Friars had a chance to win when Matt Palazzi got open for a 14-foot jumper from the left side with four seconds left, but Kelvin Lewis claimed the rebound and the victory for Louisiana Tech (19-13).

Godbolt, who scored 18 points, broke a 57-57 tie with a pair of layups, and Jackson, who had 19 points, added a free throw for a 62-57 lead with 2:45 left.

Billy Donovan, who had 17 points for Providence (17-14), made a pair of long jumpers as the Friars rallied in the final minute.

Wyoming 62, Clemson 57--Fennis Dembo had 19 points and 16 rebounds and made two free throws with 21 seconds left as the Cowboys knocked off the Tigers at Laramie, Wyo.