Tulsa
Alabama (NIT Championship Game)
Tulsa Rolls Crimson Tide For NIT Title, 79-60
3/29/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 29, 2001
By JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK - Marcus Hill scored 24 points and shut down Alabama's leading scorer as the Golden Hurricane won the NIT championship for their first-year coach, beating the Crimson Tide 79-60 Thursday night.
Tulsa's only other NIT title came 20 years ago, when the Golden Hurricane beat Syracuse 86-84 in overtime in Nolan Richardson's first year as coach.
"It's been a joy to watch," TU Head Coach Buzz Peterson said. "It's eerie in a way that it came 20 years after Nolan Richardson did it."
Peterson added an NIT title to the NCAA one his college roommate, Michael Jordan, won for him in 1982. But this was sweeter than North Carolina's 63-62 win over Georgetown.
"As a player, I won on the coattails of Jordan, (Sam) Perkins and (James) Worthy," Peterson said. "As a coach, this is more satisfying."
Hill, one of the few seniors on the team, ended his career with a school-record 100 wins, a trip to a regional final and the MVP of the NIT. Sophomore Kevin Johnson was also named to the all-tournament team.
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NIT Champions By The Associated Press 2001 - Tulsa 2000 - Wake Forest 1999 - California 1998 - Minnesota 1997 - Michigan 1996 - Nebraska 1995 - Virginia Tech 1994 - Villanova 1993 - Minnesota 1992 - Virginia 1991 - Stanford 1990 - Vanderbilt 1989 - St. John's 1988 - Connecticut 1987 - Southern Mississippi 1986 - Ohio State 1985 - UCLA 1984 - Michigan 1983 - Fresno State 1982 - Bradley 1981 - Tulsa 1980 - Virginia 1979 - Indiana 1978 - Texas 1977 - St. Bonaventure 1976 - Kentucky 1975 - Princeton 1974 - Purdue 1973 - Virginia Tech 1972 - Maryland 1971 - North Carolina 1970 - Marquette 1969 - Temple 1968 - Dayton 1967 - Southern Illinois 1966 - Brigham Young 1965 - St. John's 1964 - Bradley 1963 - Providence 1962 - Dayton 1961 - Providence 1960 - Bradley 1959 - St. John's 1958 - Xavier 1957 - Bradley 1956 - Louisville 1955 - Duquesne 1954 - Holy Cross 1953 - Seton Hall 1952 - La Salle 1951 - Brigham Young 1950 - CCNY 1949 - San Francisco 1948 - Saint Louis 1947 - Utah 1946 - Kentucky 1945 - DePaul 1944 - St. John's 1943 - St. John's 1942 - West Virginia 1941 - Long Island U. 1940 - Colorado 1939 - Long Island U. 1938 - Temple |
"People see Tulsa and they don't know what they're going to get," Hill said. "Once the game gets going, they realize we're a good team. We're hungry when we play the big teams."
Kevin Johnson added 16 points, including two baskets in an 11-0 run that put the Golden Hurricane (26-11) up 59-40 with 9:28 to play. Greg Harrington had 11 points and nine assists, and Charlie Davis scored a season-high 10.
After nearly blowing a 20-point lead and a pair of 18-point advantages earlier in the tournament, Tulsa led Alabama (25-11) by at least eight points for the final 24:36 to win its second NIT title.
Tulsa used its superior quickness to frustrate Alabama, deflecting passes and pressuring the ball constantly.
The Tide shot only 33 percent for the game compared to 53 percent for the Golden Hurricane.
The Golden Hurricane held Alabama's leading scorer, Rod Grizzard, scoreless for the first 33 minutes. Grizzard had his shot blocked when he went inside and threw up airballs from 3-point range.
"You could see he wasn't into it," Hill said. "I came out hungry as a dog and I saw meat. I was not going to let up for one minute."
Erwin Dudley scored 17 points and Terrance Meade added 14 to lead the Crimson Tide, who went to the NIT final with five sophomore starters and last year's high school player of the year in reserve.
"We had one of those nights where our better players struggled," Alabama coach Mark Gottfried said. "We never could get anything going. We got in a hole early and Tulsa played terrific."
Tulsa broke out to a 14-point lead in the first half behind runs of 11-2 and 15-3. The Tide went nearly seven minutes at one stretch with only one field goal and trailed 36-25 at the half.
"Top to bottom, they played better than us for 40 minutes," said Grizzard, who scored 10 points in garbage time.
But that didn't soothe Peterson, who screamed at Jason Parker when the guard took a wild shot with 20 seconds left in the half. "Get over here! What are you doing? I told you to hold for the last shot!" Peterson yelled.
That was about all that went wrong for the Golden Hurricane, who added an NIT title to their three trips to the NCAA round of 16 in the past eight years.
In the consolation game, Memphis beat Detroit 86-71.
