NEW YORK -- Texas can hook its horns to an NIT championship.
Dylan Osetkowski had 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead Texas to the NIT championship with an 81-66 victory over Lipscomb on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
"It's great to win a championship," Texas Coach Shaka Smart said.
The Longhorns (21-16) beat South Dakota State, Xavier, Colorado and TCU to reach the final, and survived a few late shots at the lead to win their first NIT title since 1978.
Smart, 71-66 in four seasons with the Longhorns, got Texas to cut down the nets the same time he is reportedly on the short list of candidates to take the UCLA vacancy. Texas has not won an NCAA Tournament game under Smart, and few Texas fans would weep if he left for the Bruins.
Texas fans at the Garden enjoyed the title and held up the Hook 'em hand gesture as the final seconds ticked off.
Smart was doused with water in the locker room and had a towel with him as he walked to a news conference.
"There have been teams that have come and won the NIT and used it as an unbelievable springboard," Smart said. "And there's teams that haven't."
Jase Febres held off the pesky Bisons with three-pointers in the second half that extended the lead to 13 points each time and kept the Longhorns firmly in charge. He finished with 16 points and Kerwin Roach II had 16.
Smart shared a moment with the troubled Roach on the court, an emotional time for a senior in his final game who has been suspended three times over his career. Roach was named the NIT's most outstanding player.
"He's had some phenomenal moments," Smart said. "I don't think he thought he'd be in college this long."
Long enough to go out a champion.
Texas won in front of about 3,000 spectators, and not one sitting above the lower bowl.
Osetkowski hit 3 three-pointers for 15 points in the first half and the Longhorns raced out to a 41-27 lead. The Longhorns will take their shorn nets back to Texas with Smart's fate yet to be determined.
Garrison Mathews, named an Associated Press All-America honorable mention, scored 15 points for the Bisons (29-8). He made all 10 free throws but missed 8 of 10 shots from the floor. With their best player in a funk, Lipscomb was doomed.
"They took Garrison for the large part out of the game," Lipscomb Coach Casey Alexander said. "The only thing to be sad about is that it's over."
CIT FINAL
MARSHALL 90,
GREEN BAY 70
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- C.J. Burks scored 28 points as Marshall romped past Green Bay for the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament championship.
Burks also had 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals in being named the most valuable player. He had a steal on back-to-back possessions and his fast-break dunk gave Marshall a 72-62 midway through the second half.
Taevion Kinsey added 21 points for the Thundering Herd (23-14). Jon Elmore had 17 points on just 5-of-18 shooting. Marshall was 1 for 12 from three-point range to start the game and finished 3 of 26.
Tank Hemphill had 21 points for the Phoenix (21-17). Sandy Cohen III added 13 points -- all in the first half -- and JayQuan McCloud had 11.
Green Bay led by as many as 13 points in the first half, but Marshall pulled within 42-40 at halftime. Cohen made a three-pointer early in the first half to move into second on Green Bay's single-season scoring list, passing Virginia Coach Tony Bennett.
Sports on 04/05/2019