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New York • Substitute center Maurice Walker made six free throws in overtime and Minnesota held off Florida State 67-64 on Tuesday night to reach the NIT championship game.
Austin Hollins and DeAndre Mathieu scored 17 points apiece for the Golden Gophers, who overcame Devon Bookert's tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation. They will play Thursday night against fellow top seed SMU in a title game that certainly features a New York flavor on the sidelines.
Minnesota coach Richard Pitino, of course, is the son of former Knicks and current Louisville coach Rick Pitino. He'll go up against Hall of Famer Larry Brown, who was born in Brooklyn and coached the Knicks himself long before taking over the Mustangs.
SMU 65, Clemson 59 • Markus Kennedy had 21 points, including the clinching three-point play, and SMU rallied from 13 down in the second half to win.
The Associated Press —
NIT championship
O SMU (27-9) vs. Minnesota (24-13)
Thursday, 5 p.m.