Box Score
In the new NIT format, teams don't get to play in Madison Square Garden until the semifinals. Seems like just a few years back, more like 20 I suppose, every game was in Manhattan.
Massachusetts made use of their foray into The City with a come-back 12-point win over Florida (24-12) of the Southeastern Conference. The win increases UMass's 2007-08 record to 25-10.
With Xavier bowing out in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Championship, the Minutemen remain the lone Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball team still in action in the postseason. UMass cured March Madness and on Thursday will be one of six men's teams in the nation still playing ball.
Four UM players hit double figures led by A-10 Player of the Year Gary Forbes, a Virginia transfer, with 19 points. Pittsburgh transfer Dante Milligan had 17 points and 12 rebounds. Ricky Harris and Chris Lowe each hit for 16 points. Lowe added five assists.
Neither team shot that well from the floor though UMass had a slight advantage, 42.2 percent (27/64) to Florida's 39.4 percent (28/71). And Florida had 50-41 rebounding edge but it was at the foul line that the Minutemen got all but one in their 12-point win over the 2007 NCAA Champion.
Florida was 8-of-21, 38.1%, while UMass made 11 more free throws, 19-27, for 70.4 percent.
Florida was led by Marreese Speights's 16 points and 18 rebounds. Nick Calathes, younger brother of St. Joe's Pat Calathes, added 12 with Dan Werner canning 11 points.
UMass will play the winner of the NIT's second semifinal between Mississippi (24-10) and Ohio State (22-13) on Thursday for the 2008 NIT Crown.