Preseason NIT Semifinals: Oklahoma and Purdue Advance

NEW YORK—The two pre-tournament favorites to reach the finals have done so. But it wasn't easy.

No. 9 Purdue beat Boston College 71-64 and No. 13 Oklahoma defeated UAB 77-67 in last night's semifinal games of the Preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden. The two top-15 teams will square off Friday night in the championship.

In the first game of the evening, Purdue led throughout but had to withstand a late BC rally to preserve the victory. A 17-point Boilermaker lead with under seven minutes left was cut to six by the 1:47 mark. After the Eagles forced a turnover, further energizing the pro-BC crowd, it looked like a wild comeback was possible.

On the ensuing possession, however, BC was whistled for an offensive foul, and all hopes went down the drain.

Purdue (5-0) used a balanced offense to attack the Eagles (3-2). Chris Kramer scored nine, and the other four starters were in double digits, led by E'Twaun Moore's 19. It was Purdue's signature defense, though, that was the key to victory.

Boston College's leading scorer, Tyrese Rice, had a team-high 17 points, but only four came in the first half. Rice didn't get loose until the game was already out of reach. He'll get a chance to put together a more complete game in Friday's consolation game against UAB.

The reason UAB isn't in the championship game itself is because of its second-half woes against Oklahoma. Down five at half, the Sooners exploded for 48 points in the second frame.

Oklahoma's dominant inside force, Blake Griffin, shot 11-14 from the field en route to a 32-point, 15-rebound performance, the sort of stat line that is becoming routine for the sophomore.

Griffin used an array of spin moves, post-ups, and short jumpers to keep the Blazers from pulling away. One particular baseline spin resulted in a twisting, awe-inspiring dunk, a key second-half basket during the Sooners' comeback.

UAB's Robert Delaney III was impressive, scoring 23 on 10-14 shooting. Robert Vaden chipped in with 18. Throughout the game, the Blazers slashed their way to the bucket for lay-ups and spotted up for open three-pointers.

The Sooners defense was not the only inconsistent aspect of their game. They struggled to find their outside touch, but when it counted most, reserve Cade Davis stepped up. The sophomore guard scored all 12 of his points in the second half, connecting on four three-pointers. He helped stretch the defense and allow Griffin to be even more effective inside.