Loyola’s Moser to take time to consider a move

Loyola Chicago’s Porter Moser has accomplished enough over the past four seasons to become one of the NCAA’s most attractive candidates for any coaching vacancy.

The question is whether he wants to continue building on his success at Loyola or test himself at a program from a larger conference.

Moser wouldn’t say which way he was leaning Saturday after Oregon State eliminated Loyola, 65-58, in a Midwest Region semifinal in Indianapolis.

“I just need to take a breath with these guys,” Moser said. “It’s been very, very tough, when you build a relationship with these guys and you see the season end.”

Moser later was asked specifically about whether he would have any interest in the Indiana vacancy.

“I need to digest this,” Moser said. “I’ve had my blinders on and given 100 percent of Porter Moser to this Rambler team. I’ve blocked out the noise. I need time to digest this with these guys. That’s all I can tell you right now.”

NIT

Landers Nolley II scored a career-high 27 points with seven of Memphis’ seasonhigh 14 made 3-pointers, and the Tigers advanced to their first NIT championship since winning the title in 2002 with a 90-67 semifinal win over Colorado State in Frisco, Texas. Nolley scored 24 of his points after halftime, after Lester Quinones made three 3s in a 22-2 run in the first half that put the Tigers (19-8) ahead to stay.. ... Iverson Molinar scored 25 points and D.J. Stewart Jr. had 23, with the guards combining for nine 3-pointers, as Mississippi State led throughout to beat Louisiana Tech, 84-62, to reach its first NIT championship. Mississippi State (18-14) scored the game’s first 11 points. Mississippi State takes on top-seeded Memphis Sunday in the first NIT championship played outside New York.

Duke

Senior Jordan Goldwire plans to leave the Blue Devils as a graduate transfer.

Elsewhere

Ryan Hawkins scored 14 of his 31 points in a back-breaking second-half run as Northwest Missouri State capped a dominating season with an 80-54 defeat of top-seeded West Texas A&M in Evansville, Ind., repeating as Division II national champions. Second-seeded Northwest

Missouri State (28-2), which first won the title in 2017, became the first team to win back-to-back Division II championships since Cal State Bakersfield in 1993-94.