Indiana’s Cheaney Scores 34 Points, but Hoosiers Need Overtime to Win

Senior forward Calbert Cheaney scored a career-high 34 points to lead fourth-ranked Indiana to an 81-78 overtime victory over seventh-ranked Florida State on Wednesday night in the semifinals of the preseason National Invitation Tournament at Madison Square Garden.

Indiana, which will meet sixth-ranked Seton Hall for the championship Friday at 4:30 p.m., PST, made nine of 10 free throws in the last 86 seconds of the overtime period, with Cheaney making seven of eight.

It was the third time in three seasons that the Hoosiers defeated Florida State, which was eliminated from the NCAA tournament by Indiana in 1991 and again last March in the semifinals of the West Regional.

Florida State squandered a 12-point second-half lead after overcoming a 15-point first-half deficit. The Seminoles’ guards, Sam Cassell and Bob Sura, combined for 35 points.

Reserve guard Pat Graham scored 14 points for Indiana before leaving the game with 21.4 seconds to play in overtime after re-breaking his left foot, the same injury that caused him to redshirt last season.