Disappointed Maryland ejected from the NIT

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- Maryland never really wanted to be part of the National Invitation Tournament. Following a listless performance against Manhattan, the top-seeded Terrapins won't have to play anymore.
Jeff Xavier scored a career-high 31 points, Jason Wingate added 21, and Manhattan bounced Maryland from the NIT with an 87-84 victory Saturday.
The Jaspers (20-10) led by 14 with 13 minutes left, then had four players foul out.
But Manhattan overcame that -- and some shoddy free throw shooting -- to end Maryland's 29-game non-conference home winning streak.
Wingate missed the front end of three straight one-and-one opportunities down the stretch before seldom-used sophomore Franck Traore sank two free throws with 32 seconds left to make it 84-79.
Manhattan, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular season champion, will next face Old Dominion on Monday night. The Jaspers opened the NIT with an 80-77 win over Fairleigh Dickinson, a team Maryland beat by 26 points in November.
Out then in
Disappointed over being left out of the NCAA tournament, the Terrapins (19-13) initially declined the NIT bid Sunday night. But coach Gary Williams reversed the decision after speaking with NIT committee chairman C.M. Newton.
Travis Garrison scored 21 points in his final game with Maryland and senior Nik Caner-Medley added 16 on 6-for-16 shooting. Maryland had 20 turnovers and was 3-for-13 from 3-point range.
Xavier went 12-for-24 from the field, made four 3-pointers and sank all three of his foul shots in topping his previous career high of 25 points.
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