NIT 2015: Saturday's Scores, Updated Bracket, Sunday's 2nd-Round Schedule

The second round of the 2015 NIT men's college basketball tournament carried on Saturday as Alabama and Miami (FL) met in a clash to determine the second quarterfinal team of the tourney.

Although the No. 6 Crimson Tide led early, the No. 2 Hurricanes mounted an impressive comeback in the second half and came away with a 73-66 win at BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Florida.

Both Alabama and Miami had NCAA tournament aspirations entering the 2014-15 campaign, and while they ultimately fell short of that goal, that didn't seem to impact their effort Saturday, as they both left everything they had on the court in pursuit of an NIT title.

'Bama and Miami were the only two NIT teams in action Saturday, so here is a recap of how their meeting played out as well as a look at the upcoming NIT schedule and updated bracket.

Saturday's NIT Results

Round	Team 1	Team 2	Result
Second Round	Alabama	Miami (FL)	73-66, Miami (FL)

Sunday's NIT Schedule

Round	Team 1	Team 2	Time (ET)	Watch
Second Round	George Washington	Temple	11 a.m.	ESPN
Second Round	Arizona State	Richmond	7:30 p.m.	ESPNU
Second Round	Rhode Island	Stanford	9:30 p.m.	ESPNU

Updated Bracket

Bracket courtesy of CBSSports.com.

Saturday's NIT Recap

No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 2 Miami (FL)

The Hurricanes entered the game as the favorites after narrowly missing out on the Big Dance out of the ACC, but it certainly seemed to be an evenly matched tilt on paper.

Miami narrowly avoided a big upset at the hands of NC Central in the first round, while the Crimson Tide crushed third-seeded Illinois. In addition to that, the 'Canes were without one of their top players for Saturday's showdown.

According to Miami Basketball on Twitter, starting point guard Angel Rodriguez was forced to sit due to injury:

The junior star from Puerto Rico is second on the team in scoring at nearly 12 points per game, and he also leads the Hurricanes with just under four assists and two steals per contest.

Although Rodriguez has struggled shooting the ball this season, Miami missed him in terms of dictating the pace and distributing.

The early portion of the first half was a seesaw affair, as Alabama and Miami traded the lead with several ties mixed in as well. The Hurricanes seemed poised to pull away after taking a 27-18 advantage, but 'Bama woke up during the closing minutes of the half.

Per Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News, the Tide entered the locker room with a 34-30 lead by virtue of an impressive run over the final six minutes and change:

The biggest key to Alabama's comeback and overall success in the opening half was the play of guard Retin Obasohan, as he paced the Tide with double figures in scoring, according to Alabama basketball's official Twitter account:

For as good as 'Bama looked in the first half, the second half was a different story. The Tide did manage to extend their lead to 38-31, but they started to go cold from the field after that. The Hurricanes eventually seized a 41-39 advantage, which prompted Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press to point out Alabama's unevenness from the field:

The contest stayed close for the next several minutes, and Mike Griffith of MLive.com remarked that both teams seemed worthy of a spot in the NCAA tournament based on how well they were playing:

Things started ti turn heavily in Miami's favor as the half progressed, and with the Hurricanes holding a 58-49 lead with under six minutes remaining, the Tide lost their leading scorer from the first half, per Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald:

With Obasohan out of the picture, Miami had all the momentum, and 'Bama was unable to close the gap down the stretch.

Neither team shot particularly well from the field, but Alabama was especially poor, as it connected on only 39 percent of its attempts from the field and was a miserable 6-of-27 from downtown.

Guards Manu Lecomte, Deandre Burnett and Davon Reed all reached double figures for the 'Canes, and the Tide simply had no answer for their attack in the second half.

The victory places Miami in the quarterfinals, where they will meet the winner of Sunday's contest between No. 1 Richmond and No. 5 Arizona State.

The Hurricanes are just three wins away from an NIT title, and based on the manner in which they came together against Alabama, they have a legitimate chance to win it.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.