NIT Roundup: Tuesday’s other games

Syracuse 87, Robert Morris 81

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Freshman forward Donte Greene scored a season-high 27 points, and undermanned Syracuse survived 16 3-pointers by Robert Morris. Syracuse (20-13), which will play either Minnesota or Maryland in the second round on Thursday night, gave coach Jim Boeheim his 30th 20-win season in 32 years. Robert Morris (26-8) ended its first NIT appearance with a second straight loss after 14 wins in a row. Paul Harris had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Scoop Jardine had 15 points, Kristof Ongenaet had 13, while Arinze Onuaku had seven points and 10 rebounds. A.J. Jackson led Robert Morris with 19 points, Jimmy Langhurst and Jeremy Chappell each had 15, Bateko Francisco and Mezie Nwigwe each had eight, and Tony Lee had 10 points and seven assists. Freshman point guard Jonny Flynn, who injured his back in Syracuse’s Big East tournament loss to Villanova last week, had only one basket in the game, late in the first half. It came on an awkward shot along the baseline that caromed in off the glass. Flynn went to the bench after the shot in apparent discomfort and did not play again. Flynn, the second-leading scorer on the team, had played all but three minutes of the previous 13 games. The Colonials earned a spot in the NIT by virtue of winning the Northeast Conference regular-season title, and if their loss to Mount St. Mary’s in the semifinals of the conference tournament was still haunting them, it never showed. They were in it until the end with their long-range shots hitting with regularity. Robert Morris finished 16-for-41 from beyond the arc, a record for an Orange opponent in the Carrier Dome.

UMass 80, Stephen F. Austin 60

AMHERST, Mass. — Dante Milligan had a career-high 24 points to go with nine rebounds and seven blocked shots as Massachusetts coasted past Stephen F. Austin. The Minutemen (22-10) advanced to face the winner of Florida State and Akron at a time and date to be determined. The Lumberjacks, who shared the Southland Conference regular-season championship with Lamar, closed their season at 26-6. UMass led by as many as 12 in the first half. But the Lumberjacks cut the home team’s advantage to 33-25 at halftime and opened the second half on a 9-2 run to get within one at 35-34.

Associated Press