Dre Davis made a spinning layup with 16 seconds left as Seton Hall rallied from a late seven-point deficit to shock Indiana State 79-77 in the NIT championship game Thursday in Indianapolis.
Al-Amir Dawes led the Pirates (25-12) with 24 points as they won their second NIT title, joining the 1953 squad in raising the tournament trophy. Kadary Richmond chipped in 21 points and 13 rebounds for Seton Hall, which closed the game on a 9-0 run.
Indiana State (32-7) was led by Isaiah Swope’s 19 points and Julian Larry’s 18 points and six assists. Robbie Avila and Jayson Kent added 13 points apiece, while Ryan Conwell managed just three points on 1-of-10 shooting.
The Sycamores missed a pair of 3-pointers on their final possession with a chance to win the game, leaving the partisan crowd in stunned silence as the Pirates ran onto the floor in celebration. Indiana State, which was playing less than 100 miles from its campus, held a 77-70 lead with under three minutes remaining but did not score again.
Conwell and Swope each made a 3-pointer to help Indiana State build a 77-70 lead with about three minutes to go.
The Pirates did not go away, however, as Richmond converted a layup and then Dawes made two foul shots to make it a one-possession game. Avila missed a 3-pointer on the other end and then Dawes drew Seton Hall even with a tough 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1:05 to go.
After an empty possession by the Sycamores, Davis got the ball with the shot clock winding down and made a smooth, twirling drive for the go-ahead bucket.
Neither team led by more than six points in the first half until Seton Hall gained some separation en route to an 11-point advantage late in the session. Larry made two 3-pointers to help Indiana State inch closer before buckets by Avila and Larry forged a 39-39 tie at the break.
The Pirates were ahead by as many as nine early in the second half before the Sycamores stormed back, setting up the exciting finish.
–Field Level Media
