The opening round of the 2014 NIT kicked off on Tuesday night with nine games on the slate. Here is a recap of everything that went down, including one of the No. 1 seeds falling at home.
2014 NIT scores and bracket: Robert Morris upsets top-seeded St. John’s
For the second year in a row, the Colonials defeated a top-seeded team. Here are all the scores from Tuesday’s NIT action.
Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
No. 8 Robert Morris 89, No. 1 St. John’s 78
The Colonials took a 22-point lead into halftime and rode that to a big upset win, knocking off the Johnnies in New York City behind Karvel Anderson’s 38 points. After knocking off Kentucky last year, Robert Morris has become quite the NIT powerhouse.
No. 1 Florida State 58, No. 8 Florida Gulf Coast 53
Dunk City’s postseason run came to a quick halt on Tuesday as the Seminoles held them off to advance to the second round. FGCU turned the ball over 19 times and only made it to the free throw line seven times.
No. 1 Minnesota 88, No. 8 High Point 81
Perhaps the most entertaining game of the night saw Minnesota and High Point combine to score 102 points in the second half. The two teams went 51-of-59 from the free throw line and dished out 37 assists. For those who love offense, this was quite the treat.
No. 2 Missouri 85, No. 7 Davidson 77
This one went back and forth throughout, but it was the Tigers that found a way to win at home in front of a lackluster crowd. Mizzou trailed by four at halftime but outscored the Wildcats 48-36 in the second half to pull away. Jabari Brown led the way with 30 points on 9-of-16 shooting.
No. 3 Arkansas 91, No. 6 Indiana State 71
The Razorbacks just missed out on making the NCAA Tournament, but it seemed Mike Anderson had the Hogs ready to go from the opening tip. Arkansas shot 49 percent from the floor and made 8-of-17 from behind the arc. Anthlon Bell was one of the NIT's top performers of the night, dropping 28 points while hitting six threes.
No. 3 Clemson 78, No. 6 Georgia State 66
The Tigers had their way with the Panthers, hitting 51 percent of their shots while dominating the paint. K.J. McDaniels had a monster game with 30 points and 14 rebounds. If he continues doing that, Clemson is going to be a tough out moving forward.
No. 4 Georgetown 77, No. 5 West Virginia 65
It’s always hard to know how a traditional basketball power will show up to the NIT after years of success in the Big Dance. The Hoyas came to play on Tuesday night and dropped 47 points in the second half to run away from the Mountaineers. The student section was pretty pumped.
No. 5 Belmont 80, No. 4 Green Bay 65
Belmont took out some aggression after missing the NCAA Tournament last week, taking care of Green Bay with ease. Craig Bradshaw scored a career-high 25 points in the win. The Phoenix were really limited without Keifer Sykes on the floor, who was scratched before the game with an ankle injury.
No. 4 Saint Mary’s 70, No. 5 Utah 58
Utah led this one by 10 points midway through the second half after opening the game on an 11-0 run. They were up 46-39 with 7:06 remaining. The game looked to be in the bag.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the Gaels couldn't miss. They used a 13-0 run in the final five minutes to storm past the Utes, and they did it with senior point guard Stephen Holt fouled out on the bench. It was quite the scene at McKeon Pavilion as Saint Mary's kept its season alive.
Here is the official 2014 NIT bracket (thanks to CBS Sports):
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