NIT ROUNDUP Monday's games

Clemson 89, Mississippi 68
CLEMSON, S.C. -- Freshman Trevor Booker had a career-high 21 points and Cliff Hammonds added 18 as Clemson won its eighth straight NIT home game. The Tigers (23-10), the South region's No. 1 seed, gets the chance to extend that streak -- which coincidentally began after an Ole Miss victory here in the 1982 NIT -- when it takes on Syracuse in quarterfinals Wednesday night. Mississippi ended its first season under coach Andy Kennedy at 21-13. The Rebels were trying to extend their first postseason appearance since 2002. But their high-scoring backcourt of Clarence Sanders and Bam Doyne managed only 18 points, 13 fewer than their combined averages. Todd Abernethy led Mississippi with 18 points.
Syracuse 80, San Diego State 64
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Demetris Nichols had 20 points and Andy Rautins added 15 for the Orange in front of a tournament-record crowd. An orange-clad crowd of 26,752, the largest in NIT history, gave the game a championship atmosphere, and Syracuse (24-10) didn't disappoint, hitting nine 3-pointers and stifling the Aztecs with staunch defense. Lorrenzo Wade led the sixth-seeded Aztecs (22-11) with 16 points before fouling out with just more than two minutes left, and Mohamed Abukar had 13. Senior guard Brandon Heath, whose 3-pointer in the final seconds won the Aztecs' first-round game, finished with 15 points. Syracuse, clinging to a 38-33 halftime lead, outscored the Aztecs 19-7 to start the second half, finishing the burst with an 11-0 run that gave the Orange a commanding lead.
Associated Press
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.