Tuesday's NIT Capsules

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (AP) - Jordan Theodore scored 21 points, Herb Pope had 20 and Seton Hall snapped an 11-game losing streak in the NIT by holding off Stony Brook 63-61 Tuesday night.

The win is the first for the top-seeded Pirates (21-12) in the event since 1956.

Stony Brook, the two-time defending regular-season champion of the American East Conference, didn't make it easy. Bryan Dougher had a 3-pointer bounce off the rim with about 2 seconds to go, and Tommy Brenton had a rebound follow roll off the rim at the buzzer.

Dallas Joyner had 14 points and nine rebounds for the eighth-seeded Seawolves (22-10). Marcus Rouse added 13, and Dougher had 12.

The game was the Pirates' first non-exhibition contest at tiny Walsh Gymnasium (2,600 seats) since a 2000 game against Norfolk State.

Seton Hall will play UMass in the second round.


MASSACHUSETTS 101, MISSISSIPPI STATE 96, 2OT

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - Chaz Williams scored 28 points, Sean Carter added 20 and Massachusetts outlasted Mississippi State 101-96 in double overtime in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.

UMass (23-11) outscored the Bulldogs 11-6 in the second overtime. Williams shot 11 of 20 from the field, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range.

UMass took a 72-68 lead with 2:48 remaining in regulation, but MSU's Arnett Moultrie hit a turnaround shot and later sank two free throws with 41.1 seconds left to tie it at 72. The Bulldogs had a chance to win in regulation, but Dee Bost's 12-foot runner in traffic missed as time expired.

Moultrie scored a career-high 34 points and Bost added 20.

Mississippi State (21-12) lost seven of nine in the final month of the season.


TENNESSEE 65, SAVANNAH STATE 51

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Jarnell Stokes scored 13 points and top-seeded Tennessee beat Savannah State in its NIT opener.

Trae Golden had 11 points, and Yemi Makanjuola and Josh Richardson both added 10 for the Volunteers (19-14), who will host fourth-seeded Middle Tennessee in Knoxville in the second round.

Tennessee led by as many as 17 in the first half, but Savannah State took advantage of sloppy play by the Vols early in the second half to pull within 37-35 with 13:12 to play.

Makanjuola blocked a shot, grabbed the rebound and dished the ball to Golden, who hit a layup at the other end, sparking an 8-0 run. The Vols hit 12 of 18 free throws in the second half to maintain control.

Rashad Hasaan scored 20 points to lead the eighth-seeded Tigers (21-12).


MIDDLE TENNESSEE 86, MARSHALL 78

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) - LaRon Dendy had 18 points and 13 rebounds to lead Middle Tennessee past Marshall.

J.T. Sulton scored 16 for the Blue Raiders (26-6), including 14 in the first half. Shawn Jones added 15.

Damier Pitts led Marshall (21-14) with 19 points. Dennis Tinnon had 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Middle Tennessee opened a lead as large as 21 with 8:31 left, but Marshall kept the pressure on until the final minute. The Herd narrowed the deficit to five before Sulton's dunk with 50.6 seconds to go put the game away.


IOWA 84, DAYTON 75

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - Freshman forward Aaron White scored a career-high 25 points, sophomore Zach McCabe tied a career high with 20 and seventh-seeded Iowa rolled past No. 2 seed Dayton.

Melsahn Basabe added 15 points for the Hawkeyes (18-16), who will play at Oregon in the second round.

Iowa, which was playing in its first postseason tournament game in six years, broke open a tie game with a 16-3 run midway through the second half to go ahead 65-52.

Kevin Dillard had 23 points for Dayton (20-13), the 2010 NIT champion.

Though the Flyers were the higher seed, the game was played in Iowa City because Dayton's home arena was hosting the NCAA tournament.


OREGON 96, LSU 76

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - Devoe Joseph scored 25 points and No. 3 seed Oregon beat sixth-seeded LSU.

Garrett Sim also had 15 points and Tony Woods 14 for the Ducks (23-9). E.J. Singler and Carlos Emory added 11 points each.

Justin Hamilton scored 21 points and Ralston Turner had 14 to lead the Tigers (18-15), who were playing in their first postseason game since reaching the NCAA Final Four in 2006. Johnny O'Bryant added 12 points.

LSU trailed by 17 at halftime before trimming the deficit to 79-69 late. However, Joseph answered with a 3-pointer and had seven points and two assists in the final 4:38.


WASHINGTON 82, TEXAS-ARLINGTON 72

SEATTLE (AP) - Terrence Ross scored 23 points and top-seeded Washington beat Texas-Arlington.

C.J. Wilcox added 14 points off the bench and Darnell Gant had 13 for the Huskies (22-10), regular-season champions of the Pac-12. Washington is the first team to win a regular-season title in a power conference and get left out of the NCAA tournament.

LaMarcus Reed III scored 20 points for Texas Arlington (24-9), the regular-season champion in the Southland Conference.

Washington will host fourth-seeded Northwestern in the second round Friday night.


NORTHWESTERN 76, AKRON 74

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) - Drew Crawford scored 27 points, John Shurna added 23 and Northwestern held off Akron in the first round.

Shurna hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:33 to play. Akron had a chance to win at the buzzer, but a 3 by Alex Abreu bounced off the backboard.

JerShon Cobb added 19 points for the Wildcats (19-13), making their fourth straight NIT appearance. They have never been to the NCAA tournament.

Quincy Diggs led the fifth-seeded Zips (22-12) with 18 points.

Shurna, the school's career scoring leader, became the 27th player in Big Ten history to reach 2,000 points. He has 2,015.


STANFORD 76, CLEVELAND STATE 65

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Aaron Bright scored all 17 of his points in the second half to help Stanford beat Cleveland State in the first round of the NIT.

Anthony Brown had 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds for the third-seeded Cardinal (22-11), who will play the winner of Wednesday night's game between No. 2 seed Mississippi and seventh-seeded Illinois State. Josh Owens added 15 points and is one shy of 1,000 for his career.

Jeremy Montgomery scored 15 to lead the Vikings (22-11), who lost seven of their last nine games.