Kentucky advances in NIT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — This, undoubtedly, won’t go down as one of Kentucky’s vintage basketball seasons. Still, Jodie Meeks and his teammates aren’t ready for it to end.

Meeks converted a three-point play with 10.6 seconds left to give the Wildcats a 65-63 victory over Creighton in the second round of the NIT on Monday night.

Next stop is Notre Dame, where Kentucky (22-13) will play in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

“Any time you get a chance to put a Kentucky jersey on, you know we’re going to play with pride,” Meeks said. “We’ve got a chance to win this tournament. We’re playing to win. No matter what the fans say, we’re ready to keep playing and keep moving on.”

The Wildcats, in the NIT after 17 straight years in the NCAA tournament, played from behind most of the night. But they found themselves in position to win after Creighton missed 5-of-7 free throws in the last 3 1/2 minutes. Kentucky trailed 63-62 after Creighton’s Justin Carter missed two from the line with 36.4 seconds left.

Meeks, held in check by P’Allen Stinnett and Antoine Young for long stretches, blew past Stinnett on his way to the go-ahead layup and got fouled by Carter. After he made the free throw for a two-point lead, Booker Woodfox missed what would have been the winning 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

Meeks said he had to adjust his body to avoid getting called for charging.

“I tried to avoid it any way possible,” he said. “I went sideways and kind of threw it up. It was a funny-looking shot, but it went in.”

The basket ruined a party atmosphere at the Qwest Center.

Kentucky, college basketball’s all-time winningest program, was the biggest-name opponent to play on Creighton’s floor since Ray Meyer’s DePaul teams of the early 1980s.

The Bluejays (27-8) fed off the amped crowd of 16,984 that showed up despite a tornado warning at tipoff. Creighton never led by more than five points and Kentucky never by more than two. There were 13 lead changes.