Mountaineers top Clemson for NIT crown

Mar 30, 2007, 1:10 GMT

New York, NY - Frank Young poured in 24 points as West Virginia captured the 70th annual NIT championship with a 78-73 victory over Clemson at Madison Square Garden.

Young, who was named the game's MVP, shot 7-of-10 from the field and 6-of-7 from three-point range.

Da'Sean Butler scored 20 points and pulled down seven boards for the Mountaineers (27-9), who last won the NIT title in 1942. Darris Nichols added 13 points with five boards in the win.

West Virginia finished 51 percent shooting in the game and an impressive 60 percent from beyond the arc.

K.C. Rivers posted 18 points, four rebounds and three steals for the Tigers (25-11), who have never won a postseason crown of any kind. Vernon Hamilton chipped in 16, Trevor Booker 13 and Cliff Hammonds 11 in defeat.

Clemson shot 48 percent from the floor.

The game remained nip-and-tuck for the first 10 minutes of the first half until West Virginia, trailing by one, went on an 8-1 spurt for a 26-20 lead at the 5:21 mark.

Then, after Clemson cut within two on James Mays' dunk, the Mountaineers ripped off 12 straight points -- all from three-pointers -- and led by 14 with just over one minute remaining.

Young, who drilled back-to-back treys during the burst, had 12 points in the frame as West Virginia held a 38-26 advantage at the break.

West Virginia continued to pour it on in the second half, going up by as many as 17, 49-32 on Young's triple, and holding a double-digit cushion for most of the half.

The Tigers, however, could only get as close as the final score.

Game Notes

May ended with 10 points...The Mountaineers hold a 3-1 edge in the all-time series. The last meeting came in the 1994 NIT, with Clemson taking a 96-79 decision.

© 2007 The Sports Network

Game Notes

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