2012 NIT Schedule And Bracket: Minnesota, Stanford To Square Off In Finals

For those in need of a college basketball fix leading up to Saturday's start to the Final Four, Minnesota and Stanford will square off on Thursday night in the finals of the NIT Championship. The game will be played at Madison Square Garden, and the Golden Gophers will look to defeat a Pac-12 opponent for the second time is as many games.

Minnesota paved its way to the finals after earning a six seed in its quarter of the bracket, while Stanford moved along after receiving a three seed.

The Cardinal finished the regular season 21-11 and 10-8 in Pac-12 play, narrowly missing the NCAA Tournament field. A win would give them their second NIT crown in school history.

And while it's not quite the same as what Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State and Kansas are still playing for, a win would make a major impact on each program leading into next season.

Game Time: 7:00 p.m. EST

TV Coverage: ESPN, ESPN3

-- For more on the NIT, be sure to check out our NCAA basketball hub. A full bracket is also right here. For more on the NIT, please check out SB Nation Philly for all your needs.

NIT Tournament 2012 Schedule And Bracket Update

After the Washington Huskies and UMass Minutemen moved on with wins Tuesday night to reach the semifinals, two slots are still open with four teams trying to fill them.

The Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders are trying to keep their magical run going. After toppling the No. 1 seeded Tennessee Volunteers, the Blue Raiders now return home for a foray with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. A win would book a trip to the World's Most Famous Arena for a duel with Washington.

The Golden Gophers are coming off a 78-60 shellacking of the Miami Hurricanes down in Florida, so their confidence is booming just at the right time of year.

In the other game the Stanford Cardinal will play host to the Nevada Wolf Pack.

Stanford needs to step its game up after almost bidding the NIT adieu in the second round before narrowly beating Illinois State 92-88 in overtime.

The Nevada Wolf Pack trounced Bucknell 75-67 in their last game at home and will now hit the road in search of a another win. The survivor of this game will face UMass in the next round.

No. 6 Minnesota Golden Gophers at No. 4 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders - 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN3

No. 5 Nevada Wolf Pack at No. 3 Stanford Cardinal - 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN3

-- For more on the NIT, be sure to check out our NCAA basketball hub. A full bracket is also right here. For more on the NIT, please check out SB Nation Philly for all your needs.

NIT Tournament 2012, UMass Vs. Drexel: Dragons Give Up 17-Point Lead, Send Minutemen To Final Four

The Drexel Dragons led by as many as 17 points in the second half during Tuesday night's 2012 NIT Tournament quarterfinal against the UMass Minutemen. They scored just two points over a six-plus minutes stretch, however, allowing the Minutemen to pull within five points, 55-50, with 11:25 remaining in the game.

Then Terrell Vinson got hot, scoring 12 points over a six minute stretch to put the Minutemen up 68-62 with four minutes to play. Chaz Williams and Jesse Morgan added 3-pointers during the run to complete a stunning UMass comeback. Drexel clawed back, closing the gap to two points, 72-70, with 1:23 remaining. They wouldn't score another point, however, missing a Samme Givens tip shot and an Frantz Massenat jumper at the buzzer to give UMass the win.

With the 72-70 win, UMass became just the fourth team in the history of the NIT to win three games on the road to advance to the Final Four. Williams led all players with 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting. Vinson finished with 18 points, 14 of which came in the second half. Massenat led the Dragons with 16 points, and Givens had 12 with 10 rebounds. The Dragons won the rebounding battle 36 to 16, but were out shot 58.8 to 45.2 percent from the floor.

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NIT 2012, UMass Vs. Drexel Halftime Score: Dragons Lead, 41-31

The Drexel Dragons lead the UMass Minutemen, 41-31, at halftime from the Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia.

Drexel started off hot as they were not hindered by the UMass full-court pressure defense. The Minutemen make their living on creating turnovers but saw the sure-handed Dragons start the game on a 11-2 run. As the half moved along, Drexel missed their three-pointers (0-6 in the half) and UMass began to get some turnovers and some fast breaks and cut into the lead. Drexel's size advantage has impacted the game on the offensive end and given the Dragons easy baskets all half, and, ultimately, a 10-point lead at the break.

Drexel was led Dartaye Ruffin's 17 points on 8-9 shooting. Samme Givens chipped in 10 points for the Dragons. Chaz Williams led UMass with 10 points in the first half.

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs. Get complete college basketball coverage at SB Nation's NCAA hoops hub.

NIT Tournament 2012, Drexel Vs. UMass: Dragons Host Minutemen With Final Four Trip On The Line

The Drexel Dragons men's basketball program will try to earn their first trip to the NIT Final Four Tuesday, as they host the UMass Minutemen in a quarterfinal showdown at Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia, Pa. (7 p.m. ET on ESPN). The winner advances to the Madison Square Garden, the site of the tournament's semifinals, where they will face either Nevada Wolfpack or Stanford Cardinals next Tuesday.

On Sunday, the Dragons held of the Northern Iowa Panthers, 65-63, to collect the school's second ever NIT victory. Samme Givens netted a game-high 28 points and Chris Fouch netted 14 of his 16 points in the first half.

The Dragons led 33-15 at one point in the first half, however, had their lead trimmed down to two points with less than a minute to play. NIU couldn't complete the comeback, however, as a late-second 3-pointer hit the front of the rim at the end of regulation.

Drexel earned a trip to the Sweet 16 by downing the Central Florida Knights, 81-56, in the first round.

Meanwhile, the Atlantic 10 Conference's Minutemen moved on to the quarterfinals by defeating the top-seeded Seton Hall Pirates, 77-67, on Sunday.

UMass is paced by guard Chaz Williams who's averaging a team-best 16.8 points per game and tallied a game-high 20 points against the Pirates.

Here's all the basic information to watch or listen to this NIT contest:

Location: Daskalakis Athletic Center, Philadelphia, Pa.

Game time: 7 p.m. ET

TV schedule: ESPN

Radio stream: Drexel stream

Betting odds: Drexel is a 6 1/2-point favorite.

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs. Get complete college basketball coverage at SB Nation's NCAA hoops hub.

NIT 2012 Schedule And Bracket: Elite 8 Field Set; Final Four Finalized Wednesday

The Drexel Dragons men's basketball program are just one win away from advancing to the NIT's Final Four in Madison Square Garden, March 29-27. On Tuesday, the No. 1-seeded Dragons edged the No. 7 Northern Iowa Panthers, 65-63, to advance to the Elite 8 and a match-up with the No. 4 UMass Minutemen (7 p.m. on ESPN2).

The winner of Tuesday's contest will face either Nevada Wolfpack or Standford Cardinals in the tournament's semfinals. Meanwhile, on the other side of the bracket, the Washington Huskies and Oregon Ducks play at 9 p.m. on ESPN, and the winner of that game will play Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders or Minnesota Golden Gophers (Wed. at 7 p.m. on ESPN2).

Here's a look at the remaining bracket and TV schedule:

Region 1
(1) Northwestern Wildcats 55, (1) Washington Huskies 76
(7) Iowa Hawkeyes 97, (3) Oregon Ducks 106

Final: Washington vs. Oregon, Tuesday at 9 p.m. on ESPN

Region 2
(4) Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 71, (1) Tennessee Volunteers 64
(6) Minnesota Golden Gophers 78, (2) Miami Hurricanes 60

Final: Middle Tennessee vs. Minnesota, Wednesday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2

Region 3
(4) UMass Minutemen 77, (1) Seton Hall Pirates 67
(7) Northern Iowa Panthers 63, (3) Drexel Dragons 65

Final: UMass vs. Drexel, Tuesday, 7 p.m. on ESPN

Region 4
(8) Bucknell Bison 67, (5) Nevada Wolfpack 75
(7) Illinois State Redbirds 88, (3) Stanford Cardinal 92 (OT)

Final: Nevada vs. Sanford, Wednesday, 9 p.m. on ESPN2

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2012 NIT Tournament Schedule And Bracket

With the Nevada Wolf Pack moving on after beating the cinderela Bucknell Bison, they now sit and wait for the winner of the game between the Stanford Cardinal and Illinois State Redbirds.

The Redbirds are attempting to see the Elite Eight with a victory on Monday Night after getting past Ole Miss 96-93 in overtime last week. On the other side, Stanford is attempting to do its job at home in front of many loyal followers.

The third-seed Cardinal ended Cleveland State's dreams in the first round and are trying to give Illinois State a similar ending.

The game can be seen on ESPN2 at 11:30 p.m. ET.

For a full view of the NIT Bracket, click here.

In other action, the favored Tennessee Volunteers are ready to go against their small-school rival, the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders.

Middle Tennessee St. comes in with an impressive 26-6 mark and will be trying in earnest to keep its season alive after defeating Marshall 86-78 in the opening round. The Vols are the No. 1 seed in the region but didn't look particularly great against Savannah State in a 65-51 victory at home on Tuesday.

The game can be seen on ESPN at 7:00 p.m. ET.

In the bottom half of Region 2, the Minnesota Golden Gophers will travel to play the Miami Hurricanes.

Minnesota is enjoying a wave of momentum after a surprising road upset of La Salle 70-61 on Wednesday. The Hurricanes took care of Valparaiso at home in their opener 66-50 and looked to be in fine form.

The game can be seen on ESPN at 9:00 p.m. ET.

For more on the 2012 NIT Tournament, be sure to check out our NIT stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs.

NIT Tournament 2012, Bucknell Vs. Nevada, Final Score: Bison Fall, 75-67

The Bucknell Bison lost to the Nevada Wolf Pack, 75-67, in the Second Round of the 2012 NIT Tournament at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nev. on Sunday.

Bucknell struggled from the floor in the first half and weren't able to prevent Nevada from scoring at will. As a result, the Bison trailed, 42-29, at halftime and had to big of a hurdle to clear in the second half. The Bison did put up a good fight in the second half but just didn't have enough left in the tank to overcome the double-digit halftime deficit. One of the keys for Nevada holding off the furious comeback attempt was that they went 24-32 (75%) from the free throw line. The Wolf Pack entered the game 290th in the NCAA in free throw shooting percentage (64.9%).

Mike Muscala and Cameron Ayers had very strong performances for the Bison. Muscala had 25 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block. Ayers also scored 21 points for Bucknell. Nevada was led was led by 24 points by Oleg Czyz and 18 points by Malik Story.

With the loss, Bucknell finishes the season at 25-10 (12-2 Patriot). The Bison won the Patriot League regular season crown before falling to Lehigh in the Patriot League Tournament final. The loss to Lehigh dropped Bucknell into the NIT where they were a No. 8 seed. Bucknell upset the No. 1 seed Arizona in the First Round of the NIT before falling to Nevada. The Wolf Pack will move on to play the winner of Stanford and Illinois State in the NIT Quarterfinals on March 21.

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NIT Tournament 2012, Bucknell Vs. Nevada, Halftime Score: Bison Trail, 42-29

The Bucknell Bison trail the Nevada Wolf Pack, 42-29, at the half from the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nev. in the Second Round of the 2012 NIT Tournament.

Bucknell started slow and were quickly down 6-0. Just as the Bison started to get back into the game, Nevada rushed out to a 18-7 lead with 12:23 remaining in the half. The Wolf Pack closed the half on a 10-1 run over the last 3:02 to take a double-digit lead into the halftime break. Nevada's defense held Bucknell to 8-22 (36.3%) shooting in the first half while the Wolf Pack scorched the nets at a 60% clip.

Mike Muscala and Cameron Ayers led the Bison with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Nevada was led by 16 points apiece from Malik Story and Olek Czyz in the first half.

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream andSB Nation Philly for all your needs. Get complete college basketball coverage at SB Nation's NCAA hoops hub.

NIT Tournament 2012, Drexel Vs. Northern Iowa Final Score: Dragons Win 65-63

It was closer than it should have been, but the Drexel Dragons were able to hold of the Northern Iowa Panthers, 65-63, in NIT Tournament second-round contest in Philadelphia, PA. The victory advances the Dragons (29-6) to the Elite 8 and a match-up with the UMass Minutemen.

Leading 38-28 at halftime, and at one point by 18 points in the first half, the Dragons had their lead trimmed to 61-60 with 24 seconds to go in the game. After pushing its lead back to four points, 64-60, NIU hit a 3-pointer with just :09 to go to. Another free throw by Drexel's Frantz Massenat extended the lead back to two, however, and the victory was cemented when a desperation 3-point by NIU's Johnny Moran hit the front of the rim as time expired.

Senior forward Samme Given scored 16 of his game-high 28 points in the first half for Drexel, which improves to 15-0 at home this season. Junior guard Chris Fouch netted 16 points, including four 3-pointers, three of those coming during a 14-0 run in the first half that helped the Dragons earn a 33-15 lead.

The Panthers battled back into the game using 19 points from Moran and a solid 3-point shooting effort (10-for-23).

For a complete NIT bracket can be found here.

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs. Get complete college basketball coverage at SB Nation's NCAA hoops hub.

NIT Tournament 2012, Drexel Vs. Northern Iowa Halftime Score: Dragons Lead 38-28

Behind 16 points from senior forward Samme Givens and a 14-0 run that included four 3-pointers, the No. 3-seeded Drexel Dragons have earned a 38-23 halftime lead over the No. 8 Northern Iowa Panthers in a second-round NIT Tournament contest in Philadelphia, PA. The winner advance to the Elite 8 to face the UMass Minutemen.

Givens scored 12 of the Dragons' first 17 points to open up a 19-12 advantage with 9:35 to play in the first half. Drexel then irrupted as Given made a jump and then his teammates made four straight 3-pointers to open up a 33-15 lead with 5:48 to play.

The Panthers (20-13) trimmed the margin to just 10 points heading into the locker room after using a quick 7-0 run to end the half.

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs. Get complete college basketball coverage at SB Nation's NCAA hoops hub.

NIT 2012, Bucknell Vs. Nevada: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Bucknell Bison will be looking to their NIT Tournament run Sunday, as they visit the Nevada Wolfpack in a Sweet 16 contest in Reno, Nv. The Bison, the No. 8 seed in Region 4, and No. 5 Wolfpack will be trying to advance to the quarterfinal round where they will either play No. Illinois State Redbirds or No. 3 Stanford Cardinal.

Bucknell (25-9) moved onto the Sweet 16 with an upset-road victory over the region's top-seeded Arizona Wildcats on Wednesday, while the Wolf Pack (27-6) won on the road, 68-59 at No. 4 Oral Roberts.

Here's the game time, TV information and betting odds:

Location: Lawlor Events Center, Reno, Nv.

Game time: 3 p.m. ET

TV information: ESPNU

Announcers: Mitch Holthus (play-by-play) and Mark Adams (color commentary)

Radio: WEGH 107.3 FM

Betting odds: Nevada is 3-point favorite.

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs. Get complete college basketball coverage at SB Nation's NCAA hoops hub.

NIT 2012, Drexel Vs. UNI: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Drexel Dragons will continue their match to the NIT Tournament's Final Four Sunday, as they host the Northern Iowa Panthers in a Sweet 16 match-up at the Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia Pa. (11 a.m. ET on ESPN). The winner advance to the Elite 8 to play the UMass Minutemen, who defeated the Seton Hall Pirates on Saturday.

The Dragons (28-6), the No. 3 seed in the Region 3 Bracket, moved onto the Sweet 16 by downing Central Florida Knights on Wednesday. The victory was Drexel's 20th in 21 tries, and improved the Dragons home record for this season to 14-0.

Drexel is paced by guard Frantz Massenat who averages 13.7 points per game and 4.7 assists per game, while froward Samme Givens is the Dragons inside threat collecting a team-best 7.9 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, the Panthers (20-13) are from the Missouri Valley Conference and led by Anthony James (12.7 ppg). However, UNI advanced to the Sweet 16 behind 23 points and 11 rebound performance from Seth Tuttle, who helped the Panthers down the Saint Joseph's Hawks on Wednesday.

Here's the Drexel vs. UNI game time, TV schedule and betting odds:

Location: Daskalakis Athletic Center, Philadelphia, Pa.

Game Time: 11 a.m.

TV Information: ESPN

Announcers: Jim Barbar (play-by-play) and LaPhonso Ellis (color commentary)

Betting odds: Drexel is a 7 1/2-point favorite.

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs. Get complete college basketball coverage at SB Nation's NCAA hoops hub.

2012 NIT Tournament Schedule And Bracket: Drexel, Bucknell In Action Sunday

The second round of the NIT Tournament tipped off Saturday, as the No. 4-seeded UMass Minutemen upset the No. 1 Seton Hall Pirates to advance to the Elite 8. One more victory and the Minutemen will move on to the Final Four, which will be played in New York's Madison Square Garden.

Two local college hoops program trying and do the same thing Sunday, as the Drexel Dragons and Bucknell Bison each play Sweet 16 contest. Check back to this SB Nation Philly StoryStream for previews of both games.

A complete NIT bracket can be found here.

Region 1
(1) Northwestern Wildcats at (1) Washington Huskies, Friday, 10 p.m., ESPNU
(7) Iowa Hawkeyes at No. 3 Oregon Ducks, Sunday, 5 p.m. on ESPNU

Region 2
(4) Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at (1) Tennessee Volunteers, Monday, 7 p.m. on ESPN
(6) Minnesota Golden Gophers at (2) Miami Hurricanes, Monday, 9 p.m. on ESPN

Region 3
(4) UMass Minutemen 77, (1) Seton Hall Pirates 67
(7) Northern Iowa Panthers at (3) Drexel Dragons, Sunday, 11 a.m. on ESPN

Region 4
(8) Bucknell Bison at (5) Nevada Wolfpack, Sunday 3 p.m. on ESPNU
(7) Illinois State Redbirds at (3) Stanford Cardinal, Monday, 11:30 p.m. on ESPN2

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs. Get complete college basketball coverage at SB Nation's NCAA hoops hub.

NIT Tournament 2012 Bracket: UMass Defeats Seton Hall, Advances To Quarterfinals

Two of the final eight teams in the 2012 NIT Tournament are set, as the one seed in Region 1 – the Washington Huskies – defeated Northwestern in the second round and the five seed in Region 3 – the Massachusetts Minutemen – downed the top seed in their region, the Seton Hall Pirates.

The Huskies await the winner between the Oregon Ducks and Iowa Hawkeyes, while the Minutemen await the winner of Drexel and Northern Iowa.

The Dragons – who many believed should have been in the NCAA Tournament – are scheduled to play Northern Iowa on Sunday at 11 am EST. Drexel smashed UCF in the first round, by a final of 81-56.

A complete 2012 NIT bracket is available here.

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs. Get complete college basketball coverage at SB Nation's NCAA hoops hub.

NIT Tournament 2012 Schedule: Northwestern Faces Washington In Round 2

Round two of the 2012 NIT Tournament begins Friday, with one game on the schedule. The fourth seed in the Western Region (Northwestern) will face the one seed in the region (Washington), with the winner earning a spot in the NIT's version of the elite 8.

The Northwestern Wildcats advanced to the second round by narrowly defeating the Akron Zips by a score of 76-74 in round one. The Huskies won their first round game by double figures – a 10 point win over the eighth-seeded Texas-Arlington Mavericks.

The winner of the Friday's match-up will face the winner of three-seed Oregon and seven-seed Iowa, who are set to play on Sunday.

Friday's game can be seen on ESPNU and ESPN3.

A complete 2012 NIT bracket is available here.

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs. Get complete college basketball coverage at SB Nation's NCAA hoops hub.

2012 NIT, St. Joe's Vs. Northern Iowa: Hawks Fall In Final Seconds, 67-65

St. Joseph's took their opening round game of the 2012 NIT against the University of Northern Iowa Panthers all the way down to the wire. It was not enough to contain Seth Tuttle who led the Panthers to a 67-65 win.

Assisted by Carl Jones, Ronald Roberts, Jr. tied the game at 65-65 on a big dunk with seven seconds left. He then fouled Tuttle who sunk two free throws to give UNI the win. Tuttle was nine-for-10 from the free-throw line in the game.

The Hawks had no answer for Tuttle all night. He finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds, the highlight of a UNI offense that shot only 37.5 percent from the field.

Carl Jones led the Hawks with 24 points, and C.J. Aiken scored 16. They were on the only players in double figures for St. Joe's.

A complete 2012 NIT bracket is available here.

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs. Get complete college basketball coverage at SB Nation's NCAA hoops hub.

2012 NIT, Drexel Vs. UCF: Dragons Advance On 81-56 Win

The Drexel Dragons are going to the second round of the 2012 NIT. The Dragons walked off the court on Wednesday night with a lopsided 81-56 win over the UCF Knights. It was almost as though they were trying to send a message for being left out of the 2012 NCAA tournament.

Drexel shot well from the floor, hitting 52 percent of their shots, compared to just 39 percent for UCF. Chris Fouch led the Dragons with 19 points, hitting seven-of-12. Frantz Massenat has 18 points, and Derrick Thomas and Goran Pantovic each kicked in 10 points.

The Dragons will face Northern Iowa in the second round of the 2012 NIT.

A complete 2012 NIT bracket is available here.

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs. Get complete college basketball coverage at SB Nation's NCAA hoops hub.

NIT 2012, LaSalle Vs. Minnesota: Explorers Fall, 70-61

The season is over for the LaSalle Explorers. They lost on Wednesday night to the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first round of the 2012 NIT Tournament by a final score of 70-61.

No. 8 Minnesota used the boards too effectively for LaSalle to match. The Gophers had 30 rebounds to the Explorers 20, using those to up their shooting percentage to 52 percent. LaSalle shot just 47.1 percent from the floor.

Rodney Williams led Minnesota with 21 points. He was one of three players to have six rebounds for the Gophers. Two other players scored in double digits.

Earl Pettis led LaSalle with 19 points. He also had three rebounds and two assists. Ramon Galloway and Jerrell Wright had double figures as well.

Minnesota will advance to play the winner of the Miami-Valparaiso game.

A complete 2012 NIT bracket is available here.

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs. Get complete college basketball coverage at SB Nation's NCAA hoops hub.

NIT 2012, Saint Joseph's Vs. UNI Halftime Score, Hawks Lead 24-22

The Saint Joseph's Hawks lead the Northern Iowa Panthers, 24-22, from halftime at Hagan Arena.

Both teams struggled to make baskets and the scoring was kept in check as a result. St. Joe's and UNI combined to hit just 2-20 of their three-point attempts. St. Joe's led most of the way before the Panthers got their first lead with less than two minutes to play in the half. The Hawks were able to take the lead back on the final possession of the first half.

Carl Jones led Saint Joe's with 7 points in the first frame. Halil Kanacevic scored five points and had 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks for the Hawks. Seth Tuttle led the Panthers with 8 points in the half on 3-4 shooting. The rest of the Panthers shot just 5-29 from the field.

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs.

NIT 2012, Drexel Vs. UCF, Halftime Score: Dragons Lead, 37-24

The Drexel Dragons lead the UCF Knights, 37-24, at halftime from Daskalakis Athletic Center.

Drexel jumped on the Knights early and ran out to a 9-0 lead before conceding a basket. Every time UCF was able to close the gap from that initial lead, Drexel was able to score and give themselves a cushion. Towards the end of the half, Drexel making shots while their defense prevented the Knights from hitting anything allowed the lead to balloon to double-digits. There were few turnovers from either team but Drexel hit 7-12 from behind the arc while UCF was only 3-9. Drexel finished the half above 50% from the field while UCF was held to just 31%.

Drexel got balanced scoring from Damion Lee, Derrick Thomas, Frantz Massenat and Chris Fouch who all scored at least five points. Keith Clanton led UCF with 9 points.

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs.

NIT 2012, La Salle Vs. Minnesota Halftime Score: Explorers Trail, 40-37

La Salle Explorers trail Minnesota Golden Gophers, 40-37, at halftime from Tom Gola Arena.

Neither team could pull away from each other in a hotly contested first half. Both teams shot north of 50% from the field during the half. La Salle made their three-point attempts while the Gophers did not. The Explorers were 4-8 from behind the arc while Minnesota was 0-5.

La Salle was led by 11 points from Ramon Galloway. A few of Galloway's baskets came on highlight dunks which excited the home crowd. Earl Pettis and Jerrell Wright chipped in 7 points apiece for the Explorers. Wright appeared to tweak his knee while fouling a Minnesota player on a three point attempt late in the half. Minnesota was led by 17 points by Rodney Williams. Williams had a few highlight dunks as well.

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs.

NIT 2012, Saint Joseph's Vs. UNI: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

After seeing their bubble burst on Selection Sunday, the St. Joe's Hawks are ready to take on the Northern Iowa Panthers in the first round of the NIT Tournament Wednesday night.

Phil Martelli's group is a second seed after having had a nice year in the Atlantic 10. St. Joe's (20-13, 9-7) is led by Carl Jones and Langston Galloway, one of the best guard duos in the land. Between them they average 32. 6 points per game with the sophomore Galloway shooting over 49 percent from the field and 47 percent from 3-point land.

Northern Iowa comes in (19-13, 9-9) from the Missouri Valley Conference playing very inconsistently. The Panthers haven't had a streak of three consecutive wins since all the way back in early December.

UNI is a very offensively challenged team, but one player to look for is Anthony James who leads the Panthers with 12.9 points per game.

The winner will advance to face either Drexel or UCF in the second round.

TV: ESPN3

Time: 7:15 p.m. ET

For more on the NIT, be sure to check out our tournament stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs.

NIT 2012, Drexel Vs. UCF: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

After narrowly missing out on the NCAA Tournament, the Drexel Dragons will play host to the Central Florida Knights on Wednesday evening.

The third-seeded Dragons were one of the biggest snubs according to many experts, but now have a chance to prove their worth in the NIT. Drexel (27-6, 16-2) won 19 consecutive games before losing to VCU in the Colonial Conference Tournament.

After winning the regular season conference title, the Dragons may be disappointed with their fate but need to refocus. Frantz Massenat and freshman guard Damion Lee will look to keep Drexel's offense on schedule, while Samme Givens attempts to clean the glass. Givens almost averages a double-double with 11.4 points and eight rebounds per game.

Sixth-seeded Central Florida (22-10, 10-6) doesn't arrive nearly as hot. The Knights have lost two of their previous four including an 83-52 shelling by Memphis in the Conference-USA Tourney. However, don't sleep on this group, who actually beat UConn early this season.

Keith Clanton will be the man to watch for UCF. He's averaging 14.6 points and eight rebounds per contest.

TV: ESPN3

Time: 7:15 p.m. ET

For more NIT coverage, be sure to check out our constantly updated tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs.

NIT 2012, La Salle Vs. Minnesota: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

In the first round of the NIT, the La Salle Explorers will take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers for the right to advance.

The three-seed Explorers (21-12, 9-7) have the home court advantage tonight as the higher seed. La Salle will be looking for big games out of Ramon Galloway and senior guard Earl Pettis, who combined average 29.5 points per game.

The Explorers come in playing pretty good basketball lately winning three of their last four. Of course, a 78-71 defeat by St. Louis did finish off their NCAA Tournament dreams.

For Minnesota (19-14, 6-12), it was a rocky year in the loaded Big 10. Tubby Smith saw his team get out of the blocks with a 12-1 start only to get destroyed in conference play. The Golden Gophers couldn't hang with the big boys in their conference, only beating Indiana out of the teams that made the NCAA Tournament.

Trevor Mbakwe will give the most headaches to La Salle. He's been a beast, averaging 14 points and nine rebounds per game.

The winner will move on to face either Miami (FL) or Valparaiso in the next round.

TV: ESPN2

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

For more on the NIT, be sure to check out our tourney stream and SB Nation Philly for all your needs.

NIT 2012 Schedule And Bracket: Round 1 Game Times, TV Schedule

The National Invitational Tournament and the road to its Final Four at Madison Square Garden begins Tuesday night on various ESPN Network channels. Though not local college hoops squads, such as the Drexel Dragons, La Salle Explorers and St. Joseph's Hawks, are not playing until Wednesday night, there's plenty of NIT Tournament action to watch.

Here's a look at Tuesday's game times and TV schedule. (For a complete NIT bracket, click here.):

(No. 1-seed) Washington Huskies vs. (8) Texas-Arlington Mavericks

• 10 p.m. ET on ESPNU
  

(4) Northwestern Wildcats vs. (5) Akron Zips

• 9 p.m. on ESPN2
  

(3) Oregon Ducks vs. (6) LSU Tigers

• 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
  

(2) Dayton Flyers vs. (7) Iowa Hawkeyes

• 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
  

(1) Tennessee Volunteers vs. (8) Savannah St. Tigers

• 8 p.m. on ESPNU
  

(4) Middle Tenn. St. Blue Raiders vs. (5) Marshall Thundering Herd

• 9:15 p.m. on ESPN3

(1) Seton Hall Pirates vs. (8) Stony Brook Seawolves

• 7:15 p.m. on ESPN3

(4) Mississippi St. Bulldogs vs. (5) UMass Minutemen

• 7 p.m. on ESPN2

(3) Stanford Cardinal vs. (6) Cleveland St. Vikings

• 11 p.m. on ESPN2
  

For more coverage of Drexel, St. Joe's & La Salle in the NIT, follow our storystream. You can grab a printable NIT bracket right here.

NIT 2012 Bracket: Drexel, St. Joe's And La Salle All In

The 2012 NIT bracket has been released and three Philly schools have made the round of 32. Drexel received an automatic bid as a result of their winning the CAA regular season title, but St. Joe's and La Salle each made the field as well. All three Philly schools will be the home team in the first round.

Drexel Dragons will take on the Central Florida Knights March 14, at 7:15 on ESPN3.

St. Joseph's Hawks host the Northern Iowa Panthers March 14, at 7:15 on ESPN3.

La Salle Explorers face Minnesota Golden Gophers March 14, at 7 on ESPN2.

Drexel & La Salle are 3 seeds, while St. Joe's earned a 2 seed. Should both LaSalle and Drexel win their first round matchups, they'll face one another in the second round. If La Salle advances, they'll take on either the Miami Hurricanes or Valparaiso.

For more coverage of Drexel, St. Joe's & La Salle in the NIT, follow our storystream. You can grab a printable NIT bracket right here.

NCAA Tournament 2012 Bracket: Drexel Snubbed, Likely Headed To NIT

In the eyes of more than a few bracketologists, the Dragons Dragons did enough to get themselves into the field of 68 for the 2012 NCAA Tournament, but the selection committee did not agree.