It’s Another ‘National’ Title for Nebraska

Nebraska, No. 1 in college football, is No. 65 in basketball, the champion of the National Invitation Tournament after coming up with a big defensive effort in a 60-55 victory over St. Joseph’s in Thursday night’s final.

“I really thought about that when the game ended,” tournament MVP Erick Strickland said. “We won a national title. We know it’s not nearly what the football team has done, but we are proud of it and I tell you what, I know the football players are proud of us.”

Junior center Mikki Moore came up big on both ends of the court in the final 5 1/2 minutes to lead Nebraska, which began the regular season with a 15-4 record, then lost 10 of its last 11 games before righting itself and winning the nation’s oldest postseason tournament at Madison Square Garden.

The Cornhuskers (21-14) looked to be in control with a 41-28 lead with 16:36 to play. But St. Joseph’s (19-13), playing in front of 30 busloads of students who made the 100-mile trip from Philadelphia, tied the game, 47-47.

St. Joseph’s used a 14-2 run to draw even, with reserve Terrell Myers scoring half the points.

“The run took a lot out of us but we just didn’t finish the game,” St. Joseph’s forward Reggie Townsend said. “We just didn’t make the big shot we had to.”

And Moore, a skinny 6-foot-11 center, had a lot to do with that. Nebraska didn’t let the Hawks go ahead. He gave the Cornhuskers a 55-49 lead when he dunked and was fouled. He missed the free throw for the three-point play, but he grabbed the rebound, was fouled and made two free throws with 5:27 left.

Nebraska wouldn’t score again until there were 40 seconds left, but Moore was there on the defensive end, blocking shots by Townsend and Rashid Bey that could have made it a two-point game.

Tulane beat Alabama, 87-76, in the consolation game behind 18 points from Jerald Honeycutt.