Justin Hill made two foul shots with 4.6 seconds left in overtime Thursday and Wichita State edged Minnesota 68-66 in the first semifinal of the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando, Fla.
Hill redeemed himself for turning the ball over, leading to a dunk by Brennan Rigsby with 13.5 seconds remaining in OT that tied the game 66-all. Hill drove to his left on the next possession and was bumped by Frank Mitchell on the wing.
The Golden Gophers (5-2) went for the win on their last possession, but Rigsby’s double-clutch 3-pointer rattled around the rim and fell out as time expired.
Four players scored in double figures for the Shockers (6-0), led by Harlond Beverly with a game-high 16 points. Corey Washington added 13 before fouling out, while Hill and reserve Xavier Bell each scored 11 points.
Lu’Cye Patterson scored 14 points for Minnesota, while Femi Odukale added 13. Parker Fox came off the bench to tally 12 points and Mitchell hit for 10. Gophers leading scorer Dawson Garcia managed just four points before he fouled out in overtime.
Wichita State forced overtime when Beverly drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing with 1.2 seconds left in regulation. Minnesota had a last chance to avoid the extra period but turned over the ball.
The Shockers will meet either No. 18 Florida or Wake Forest in Friday’s championship game, while the Gophers will play the loser of that game for third place.
Each team had one major shortcoming in a slow-paced, low-scoring first half. Minnesota turned the ball over nine times, while Wichita State was outrebounded 18-12.
Neither team established more than a four-point lead in the half, with the Shockers taking a 13-9 advantage at the 11:56 mark on a 3-pointer by Bell. The Gophers rallied for a 20-19 edge with five minutes left on a corner 3-pointer by Isaac Asuma.
Minnesota went scoreless for the final 2:38 and Wichita State capitalized just enough for a 25-24 cushion at halftime when Hill sank a foul shot with 1:04 remaining.
–Field Level Media
