NIT Final : Connecticut Overcomes Ohio State

Phil Gamble was money in the bank for Connecticut Wednesday night as he scored a season-high 25 points during the Huskies’ 72-67 victory over Ohio State in the championship game of the 51st National Invitation Tournament.

Gamble, the tournament’s most valuable player, hit five three-pointers and combined with Tate George to lead a second-half surge that carried Connecticut to its first NIT title in seven tries.

“We told Phil last summer that we made a mistake when we ignored the three-point line,” Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun said. “He struggled at first with his shooting, but he came back to make the starting lineup and wound up averaging 15 points for us.”

Said Gamble: “Coach told me to practice from the NBA distance and that would make it easier to shoot from the college distance. In the preseason games, I couldn’t get a shot to fall, but I kept trying and finally became a starter.”

Ohio State Coach Gary Williams said: “Phil Gamble played extremely well and hurt us as much as any guard this year.”

The Huskies (20-14) had never before made the semifinals. Ohio State (20-13) won the NIT title in 1986, and the Buckeyes were making their third trip to the Final Four in four appearances.

Calhoun said Connecticut, which was 14-1 this season against opponents outside the Big East but finished last in the conference, did not play like a last-place team.

“The league was so close from top to bottom, there was a lot of parity,” Calhoun said. “The Big East prepared us to play in the NIT.”

The Huskies trailed, 33-30, with 15:43 remaining when Cliff Robinson, the Huskies’ leading scorer with 18 points per game, went to the bench with his fourth foul.

Jay Burson gave the Buckeyes their largest lead, 36-30, with a three-pointer at the 15:21 mark, but at that point Connecticut took over.

Gamble and George scored eight points each during a 29-12 spurt in the next 10:26, giving Connecticut a 59-48 lead with 4:55 left.

Burson led Ohio State with 16 points, and Tony White and Curtis Wilson had 13 each.