“Start spreading the news.”
The University of Memphis Tigers are the 2002 NIT champions.
With a 72-62 win over South Carolina at Madison Square Garden in New York Thursday night, Memphis claimed its first-ever postseason title.
“It was a hard-fought, well-played game and I’m proud of these guys,” Tiger head coach John Calipari said after the game. “They deserve to win. They’ve fought like crazy all year.”
With starters Chris Massie and Dajuan Wagner in early foul trouble, it took a career night from an unlikely source to keep the Tigers in the game.
Junior center Earl Barron scored 15 of the Tigers’ first 21 points and 19 of Memphis’ 35 first-half points on 9-of-9 shooting off the bench to keep the Tigers close early.
“When you’re playing postseason championships, someone’s got to get you going and make a play when there isn’t any,” Calipari said. “In the first half, it was Earl Barron.”
Barron said he knew he had to step up when Massie was called for his second foul with 17:34 left to play in the first half.
“I really didn’t have a choice,” he said. “After Chris got his second foul, it was a matter of me going in there and getting the job done.”
After the break, Memphis used a 10-1 run to turn a 35-29 halftime lead into a 45-30 advantage just five minutes into the second
period.
The Gamecocks, who opened the second half 0-of-7, didn’t score a field goal in the second half until the 13:25 mark. South Carolina was cold all night, finishing the game 24-of-70 (34.3 percent) from the field. Memphis finished 27-of-55 (49.1 percent).
“We did not shoot the ball well tonight,” said Gamecock head coach Dave Odom, who was attempting to win his second NIT Championship in three years after winning with Wake Forest in 2000. “Rolando (Howell) went down the lane and finger- rolled one, and it looked like it had too much spin on it and came out. They were able to get those (kind of baskets) in. We were not able to get those in. I think that was the difference in the game.”
Freshman guard Anthony Rice’s jumper with 7:42 remaining gave the Tigers their biggest lead at 55-39. Memphis (27-9) then drained 9-of-10 free throws down the stretch to hold off the Gamecocks — who ended their season at 22-15 — and win its first-ever NIT.
The Tigers’ 27 overall wins marks the most since the 1985-86 season, when Memphis went 28-6 under former head coach Dana Kirk.
Barron, who was named to the All-Tournament team along with Wagner, finished the game with a career-high 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting to go with seven rebounds.
Wagner, the Tournament MVP, scored 16 for Memphis, raising his total number of points through four NIT games to 107. The potential NBA lottery pick, who finished the tourney 14-of-30 from behind the arc, was a combined 18-of-29 (62.1 percent) from the floor in both games at Madison Square Garden.
“It was real special,” said Wagner. “It’s a national championship. I feel good to get the MVP, but the victory is the best.”
Senior Kelly Wise closed out his career at Memphis with a powerful jam, 10 points and nine rebounds while Rice grabbed a career-high 10 boards.
Howell finished the contest with 20 points and 15 rebounds for the Gamecocks, while big man Tony Kitchings added nine points and 10 boards.
