Vick’s hot hand lifts Kansas in comeback
Dedric Lawson had 24 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, and No. 2 Kansas rallied to beat No. 5 Tennessee 87-81 in overtime in the NIT Season Tip-Off title game at Barclays Center in New York on Friday night.
Lagerald Vick scored 15 points, with eight straight during a crucial stretch for the Jayhawks’ comeback, and assisted on an alley-oop to Lawson that made it 78-73 with 2:39 left in overtime. Lawson was named the tournament MVP.
Tennessee’s Admiral Schofield had 21 points and six rebounds while Grant Williams had 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists before fouling out. Jordan Bone added 16 points for the Volunteers (4-1).
Bone skipped back to the bench after hitting a threepointer to end the first half and put Tennessee up 33-31. The Volunteers led by as many as nine points in the second half before Kansas (5-0) stormed back.
No. 4 Virginia 53, No. 25 Wisconsin 46: De’Andre Hunter had 20 points and nine rebounds to help the Cavaliers (6-0) beat the Badgers (5-1) in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game in Paradise Island, Bahamas. Ty Jerome added 11 points for the Cavaliers, who led 33-18 after a strong first half, and then sputtered.
No. 6 Nevada 110, Massachusetts 87: Caleb Martin scored 29 points, Tre’Shawn Thurman added 22 points and eight rebounds, and the Wolf Pack (6-0) beat the Minutemen (4-2) in the Las Vegas Holiday Invitational’s championship game. Martin, who was named the tournament MVP, finished nine of 15 from the field and six of 10 from three-point range.
at No. 9 Michigan 83, Chattanooga 55: Iggy Brazdeikis scored 20 points and Jordan Poole added 14 to lead the Wolverines to an easy victory. Isaiah Livers added 12 points for the Wolverines, all in the first half. Michigan (6-0) avoided a letdown in its first game back in Ann Arbor after three impressive wins away from home. Kevin Easley led the Mocs (2-5) with 21 points.
at No. 10 Kentucky 77, Tennessee State 62: Keldon Johnson scored a careerhigh 27 points to lead the Wildcats (5-1). Kentucky finished 4-0 in the Ohio Valley Hardwood Showcase and won its fifth straight since a season-opening blowout loss to Duke. Johnson scored 20 points in the second half as the Wildcats pulled away from the Tigers (2-4).
No. 11 Michigan State 78, Texas 68: Joshua Langford scored 29 points, Cassius Winston had 20 points and 10 assists, and the Spartans (5-1) beat the Longhorns (5-1) to win the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational title. Langford was 5 of 6 from 3-point range. Winston, who was named the tournament MVP, also had five rebounds for the Spartans, who trailed 25-6 eight minutes into the game.
No. 14 Florida State 79, No. 19 Louisiana State 76 (OT): Mfiondu Kabengele hit a three-pointer with a half-second left in overtime, and the Seminoles (5-0) advanced to the championship game of the AdvoCare Invitational in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The Seminoles will play defending national champion Villanova on Sunday. LSU (5-1) will go against Oklahoma State in Sunday’s third-place game.
at No. 24 Purdue 84, Robert Morris 46: Carsen Edwards scored 19 points for the Boilermakers (5-1).