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College Basketball



NCAA Game Summary - Massachusetts Vs. Ohio State

POSTED: 11:44 pm EDT April 3, 2008

(Sports Network) - Kosta Koufos scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Ohio State, one year removed from falling short in the NCAA Tournament championship game, won the National Invitation Tournament title game, 92-85, over Massachusetts.

Othello Hunter scored 17 points and raked in 10 rebounds for the Buckeyes (24-13), who won the second NIT title in school history. Ohio State also won the NIT in 1986. Evan Turner scored 20 points and grabbed six boards, and Jamar Butler had 19 points and seven assists for the Buckeyes, a year after their run to the Final Four, which ended in a championship game rout to Florida, an NIT semifinalist this year.

Ricky Harris scored 27 points, making 7-of-12 three-pointers, for the Minutemen (25-11), who made the deepest postseason run in the history of the men's basketball program, but failed to bring home the first championship. Etienne Brower scored 17 points and ripped down 13 boards, and Gary Forbes had 16 points.

Dante Milligan scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds for UMass, which saw it's magical comeback ride through the NIT come to an end.

The Minutemen trailed Akron by 12 in the second round, Syracuse by 22 in the quarterfinals, and Florida by 10 in the semifinals, only to come back and win each game. UMass held the lead at the break, but fell behind early in the second half and couldn't come up with another comeback.

"I'm very proud of these guys," said UMass head coach Travis Ford. "It's been a very fun year. Tonight's game, we played well. I thought Ohio State's team played great, that's one of the best games I've seen them play."

Harris nailed back-to-back three-pointers, the second with 6:21 left, tying the game at 68-68. Koufos answered with a three of his own, though, pushing Ohio State back on top.

Another Harris three pulled UMass within 77-75 with 3:13 remaining, but Hunter slammed home a dunk, and Butler drained a three, putting the Ohio State edge at 82-75.

Turner twice made one-of-two from the line down the stretch, giving the Minutemen a chance to cut into the lead, but UMass went cold at the wrong time, and Ohio State pulled away at the charity stripe.

"I'm just happy to come out on top on the last day of my career," said Butler, a senior.

The Buckeyes shot 61.3 percent from the field in the second half, while UMass struggled to a 34.7 percent performance.

"They shot the ball well from the three-point line, they made plays," said Ford. "They withstood some of the pressure that we caused at both ends of the court, which is something that a lot of teams couldn't do."

UMass opened the game with a 10-2 run, but the Buckeyes responded with nine straight, and a Butler three put Ohio State on top 11-10 with 16:02 remaining.

Harris heated up midway through the half, pouring in 11 points in a five- minute span. Harris drilled three three-pointers, including consecutive treys that pushed the Minutemen ahead 23-19 with 11:38 left.

Luke Bonner and Forbes drained back-to-back threes later in the half, and the UMass lead reached 37-27 with 3:51 to play in the half. Turner answered with consecutive threes, though, and the Buckeyes were able to cut to within 41-36 at the half.

Game Notes:

The Minutemen outrebounded Ohio State, 48-39...This was UMass' second trip to the NIT Final Four (1991)...The two games this week were the first-ever for the Minutemen in April...Ohio State also appeared in the NIT title game in 1988, when it lost to Connecticut...The Buckeyes' record over past two seasons, a combined 59-17 after a 35-4 mark last season, is the most wins and the most games in a two-year span in school history.

College Basketball News

NCAA Basketball
Samardo Samuels scored 18 points with five rebounds and Earl Clark added 13 points as the third-ranked Louisville Cardinals began their season by running past Morehead State, 79-41, in the opening game of the Billy Minardi Classic at Memorial Hall. The Cardinals will take on South Alabama Sunday afternoon. Also hitting double figures in scoring for Louisville (1-0) was Jerry Smith with 12 and Preston Knowles with 10. Terrence Williams grabbed 11 rebounds and Edgar Sosa dished off 10 assists. Leon Buchanan led Morehead State (0-4) with 10 points. Morehead State, which had 17 turnovers, plays in the consolation game Sunday.


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