Minnesota Beats SMU 65-63 To Win NIT

NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Hollins hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 46.1 seconds left and Minnesota won the NIT championship Thursday night, beating SMU 65-63 to give the Pitino family its latest postseason tournament title.

Hollins scored 19 points and Andre Hollins had 14 for the Golden Gophers (25-13), who took home the trophy for the third time. They also won the National Invitation Tournament in 1993 and '98, though the second one was vacated because of an NCAA rules violation involving player eligibility.

With coach Richard Pitino's famous father, Rick, sitting near his son's bench at Madison Square Garden, Minnesota made up for a blowout loss to Stanford in the NIT final two years ago and finished with a flourish in its first season under the 31-year-old Pitino.

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