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Overton, Pettiford help Auburn beat Tulsa 92-86 in OT for 1st NIT championship

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kevin Overton had 26 points, Tahaad Pettiford scored 24 and Auburn took advantage of a late 5-second violation in regulation to beat Tulsa 92-86 in overtime on Sunday night and win its first NIT championship.

Ade Popoola sank a 3-pointer to give Tulsa a 76-71 lead with 1:05 left in regulation. Pettiford hit a 3-pointer with 44 seconds remaining and Elyjah Freeman made the second of two free throws following two foul shots by Tulsa’s Tyler Behrend for a 78-75 lead. But the Golden Hurricane couldn’t inbound the ball following Freeman’s make and Overton buried a baseline 3-pointer with eight seconds left to force OT.

Overton hit his fifth 3 to put Auburn (22-16) up 89-84 and the Tigers led over the final 3:31 of the extra period.

Overton hit 7 of 13 shots and 7 of 8 free throws. Pettiford had four 3-pointers and eight assists. Keyshawn Hall totaled 11 points and 12 rebounds. Sebastian Williams-Adams added 13 points off the bench and Filip Jovic scored 12.

David Green had 25 points, Tylen Riley scored 20 and Popoola added 13 for Tulsa (30-8), which finished with the second most wins in program history.

Pettiford had 15 points by halftime and Overton scored 14 for a 48-31 advantage after jumping out to a 34-13 lead.

Tulsa trailed 55-35, but Green had six straight points and scored eight in a 12-0 run to cut it to 57-51 with 12:18 remaining. Pettiford made two free throws to end the run, but Green and Miles Barnstable followed with 3-pointers and Green added two foul shots to tie. Riley hit two free throws to extend a 24-2 run and Tulsa took its first lead 61-59 with 10:26 left.

Tulsa won NIT titles in 1981 and 2001.

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World’s tallest basketball player, 7-foot-9 Olivier Rioux, signs with UC Irvine

IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — The world’s tallest college basketball player is going coast to coast. Former Florida walk-on Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 center from Canada and one of the most recognizable student-athletes in North America, announced Thursday he has signed with UC Irvine. The school in Southern California announced his arrival hours earlier. “Olivier is a high-character young man whose presence will elevate our team, our university, and our community," UC Irvine coach Russell Turner said in a statement. "He embodies the values that have defined our success at UC Irvine. "We’ve built a strong relationship with Olivier and his family over the years, dating back to his high school recruitment, and that familiarity gives us tremendous belief in who he is both on and off the court. Olivier’s unique skill set and physical presence align perfectly with the tradition of dominant front court players in our program. We believe he will have an immediate impact and continue to grow within our system, and we are thrilled to have him join the Anteater family.”
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