Cyclones Fall to Rutgers in NIT Semifinals

NEW YORK (AP) -- This was like old times for Quincy Douby and Curtis Stinson, two guards who had their share of showdowns on the concrete courts of New York City.

They staged one more Tuesday night on center stage at Madison Square Garden and when it was over, Douby had taken Rutgers into the championship game of the NIT with an 84-81 overtime victory against Iowa State.

The Scarlet Knights (20-12) will go for their first championship Thursday night against the winner of Tuesday's second game between Michigan and Oregon.

There were moments in the game when it resembled a shootout between the two guards, who matched baskets throughout the second half. Both finished with career highs, Douby scoring 35 and Stinson 32.

"I prepared real well for the game," Douby said. "I played against Stinson in prep school. He's from New York City and he's tough. He doesn't give up."

Douby opened fast, hitting four 3-pointers in the first half. Stinson managed just three points and three shots in the first 20 minutes.

"When we were warming up, I felt good," Douby said. "I hit my first few threes and I was in the flow."

That added up to a 40-30 halftime lead for Rutgers, but Stinson brought Iowa State back in the second half.

"We didn't give up our lead," coach Gary Waters said. "They took it from us."

Stinson was the catalyst for the comeback, scoring 27 points in the second half and the first basket of the overtime. But then he fouled out with just under three minutes left in the extra period and the score tied at 79.

He called his teammates together before he left the court.

"I told them to play hard without me and be tough," Stinson said.

But without Stinson, the Big 12 freshman of the year who was playing with a heavily taped left hand, Iowa State had no firepower left and Rutgers prevailed.

Douby converted a pair of free throws on Stinson's final foul for an 81-79 Rutgers lead. But Jake Sullivan, whose desperation 3-pointer tied the game with four seconds left in regulation, tied it again with a pair of free throws.

With just over a minute left, Sean Axani sent Rutgers in front again. Then Iowa State's Jackson Vroman, who scored 14 points and had 20 rebounds, was fouled but cramped up and was unable to take the shots.

Reserve John Neal, who had attempted just three free throws all season, came off the bench and missed both attempts with 52 seconds left. Douby made one more foul shot, and the victory was sealed when Sullivan missed another long shot at the end.

Team Stats

Curtis Stinson

Jared Homan

Jackson Vroman

Jake Sullivan

Players Mentioned

John Neal

John Neal

John Neal

Curtis Stinson

Curtis Stinson

Jake Sullivan

Jake Sullivan

Jackson Vroman

Jackson Vroman

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