NIT Roundup : Temple Gets Tangled in Spiders’ Web

Ken Atkinson scored a career-high 24 points, getting 18 from three-point range, and Richmond’s basketball team gunned down Temple, 70-56, in a first-round game of the National Invitation Tournament at Richmond, Va.

Atkinson, who made six of nine three-point shots, scored seven points as the Spiders (21-9) closed the first half with a 14-7 run to take a 35-25 lead.

Temple (18-12) fell behind, 44-27, early in the second half but scored 11 straight points to get back into the game momentarily.

Then Atkinson sank two three-pointers as Richmond moved to a 52-38 lead, and Temple didn’t threaten again.

Mark Macon scored 13 points for Temple.

Ohio State 81, Akron 70--Perry Carter scored 19 points, and Jamaal Brown added 18 points as the Buckeyes ended an eight-game losing streak by beating the Zips at Columbus, Ohio.

It was the first victory for Ohio State (18-14), runner-up to Connecticut in the NIT last season, since All-American guard Jay Burson went out for the season with a broken bone in his neck.

Akron (21-8) had a 34-33 halftime lead, but the Buckeyes took charge with a 19-2 run.

Wisconsin 63, New Orleans 61--Trent Jackson scored 22 points, including two free throws with 21 seconds left, and the Badgers held off the Privateers at Madison, Wis.

Leonard Bennett hit a three-pointer for New Orleans (18-11) with 13 seconds left, but Wisconsin (19-11), making its first postseason appearance in 42 years, ran out the clock.

Tony Harris scored 27 points for the Privateers.

St. John’s 70, Mississippi 67--Robert Werdann made two free throws with 14 seconds remaining, and the Redmen rallied to beat the Rebels in New York.

Jason Williams had 17 of his 25 points in the second half as the Redmen--making a 25th straight postseason appearance, longest streak in the nation--rallied after Ole Miss (15-15) built a 49-38 halftime lead.

Malik Sealy added 19 points for St. John’s (16-13).

In other opening-round games Wednesday night, defending NIT champion Connecticut beat North Carolina Charlotte, 67-62; Penn State downed Murray State, 89-73; St. Louis trounced Southern Illinois, 87-54, and Villanova routed St. Peter’s, 76-56.