Buzzer-Beater Sends WVU to NIT Final
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Darris Nichols hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to lift West Virginia to a 63-62 victory over Mississippi State in the semifinals of the NIT at Madison Square Garden last night.
Nichols finished with 17 points and Frank Young added 16 to help the Mountaineers (26–9) advance to the NIT finals for the first time since winning the title in 1942. West Virginia had lost its last three appearances in the semifinals.
Nichols’s basket capped a wild sequence in the final minute. West Virginia came back from a 14-point deficit in the second half and took a 60–59 lead when Jamie Smalligan made 2-of-3 free throws with 53 seconds left.
