NIT Tournament 2012, Minnesota Vs. Washington Final Score: Golden Gophers Headed To Championship With 68-67 Overtime Win

The No. 6 seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers upset the No. 1 Washington Huskies on Tuesday night for the right to advance to the National Invitational Tournament championship game to be played against Stanford, who defeated UMass. The Golden Gophers needed overtime to advance, but ultimately knocked off the Huskies, 68-67.

The Golden Gophers dominated in the first half, but it was a different story in the second wherein the Huskies appeared to be the much better team. However, despite the discrepancy, Washington couldn't really cut into the lead until it was almost too late.

Down a bucket with about 20 seconds remaining, though, Minnesota turned it over, thanks in large part to a missed call (a Huskies player intentionally grabbed a Golden Gopher's jersey, hoping to foul, but instead there was no call and the player fell and lost the ball). C.J. Wilcox picked up the loose ball and hit a runner for the tie.

Minnesota thought they were fouled on the other end, but the whistles were once again swallowed. Washington had a chance to take their first lead of the game and win it at the buzzer after the Golden Gophers' miss, but the open look went off the backboard, around the rim and off, forcing overtime.

In the overtime period, Andre Hollins scored all seven of the Golden Gophers' points (he actually scored their final 13 points of the game) and Minnesota held on despite the Huskies having a last-second desperation try to win it.

Hollins led the Golden Gophers with 20 points and five assists. Rodney Williams finished with a double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Terrance Ross scored 21 points for the Huskies in the loss.

The Minnesota-Stanford final will tip off at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 29 and will be aired on ESPN.

For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also learn more about college basketball around the nation at SB Nation's College Basketball hub.

NIT Tournament 2012, Minnesota Vs. Washington Score Update: Golden Gophers Up 12 At Half In Semifinals

With the right to advance to play in the National Invitational Tournament championship game against Stanford, who knocked off UMass earlier tonight, the No. 6 seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers are halfway there, up 12 at the half on the No. 1 ranked Washington Huskies, 38-26.

The Golden Gophers are beating the Huskies in every facet of the game, completely out-hustling and out-playing the top ranked Huskies. The Gophers are shooting 51-percent while holding the Huskies to 32-percent.

Rodney Williams has a team-high 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting and a game-high four rebounds for the Golden Gophers. Terrance Ross, who has killed it for the Huskies in the tournament, has a game-high 14 points for the Huskies. The Huskies will need an even bigger half from him to get back into it.

For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also learn more about college basketball around the nation at SB Nation's College Basketball hub.

NIT Tournament 2012: Washington Huskies Unique Challenge For Minnesota Golden Gophers

The 2012 National Invitational Tournament, better known as the NIT, has featured some solid games when considering 68 teams were all involved in the actual NCAA Tournament. It's nearing a close, though, as Tuesday night's game between the Washington Huskies and Minnesota Golden Gophers will determine one half of the championship matchup.

That matchup won't be easy, either, for Tubby Smith's Golden Gophers.

The Gophers entered the tournament as the No. 6 seed whereas the Huskies were the top-seeded team in the tournament. Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus detailed the differences between the two teams in a column on Tuesday afternoon.

First, the takeaway on Washington:

The Huskies have the most NBA talent in the remaining group. In wing Terrence Ross and guard Tony Wroten, they boast two future first-round picks. Ross has been terrific in the NIT, averaging 26.3 points on 66.3 percent True Shooting. Wroten turned passer in the first two games, handing out 15 assists and attempting just 10 shots, before getting to the free throw line 14 times and scoring 22 points against Oregon. Washington has also gotten solid contributions from point guard Abdul Gaddy, a non-factor at times much of the season.

And now, our beloved Golden Gophers:

The key for Minnesota has been the play of athletic forward Rodney Williams, who shifted from the wing to the post after Mbakwe's injury. Williams has always been an impact defender and high-percentage shooter, but using an above-average share of the Golden Gophers' plays is a new addition to his repertoire. Williams has averaged 22.0 points in the NIT. Minnesota has also gotten 17.0 points per game from freshman point guard Andre Hollins, who has shot nearly the same percentage from three (39.1 percent) as inside the arc (39.8 percent) this season. Better to play Hollins-no relation to backcourt-mate Austin Hollins, who is the son of Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins-for the drive.

It won't be easy for the Gophers, especially if Ralph Sampson III remains on the sideline, but at least the level of play should make the game worth watching.

For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also learn more about college basketball around the nation at SB Nation's College Basketball hub.

NIT 2012: Minnesota Golden Gophers Take On Washington Huskies In Semifinals

The Minnesota Golden Gophers square off against the Washington Huskies Tuesday night at 9:30 EST at Madison Square Garden in the NIT's Final Four.

Minnesota has advanced this far with wins over LaSalle, Miami and Middle Tennessee. Washington, meanwhile, is the No.1 overall seed in the tournament and reached the semifinals with wins against Texas Arlington, Northwestern and Oregon.

The Golden Gophers are led by forward Rodney Williams, who is averaging 22 points per game in the NIT. Andre Hollins and Austin Hollins have also played very well in the Minnesota backcourt.

Washington will rely heavily on wing Terrence Ross, who is leading the Huskies with 26.3 points per game in the NIT. Flashy freshman guard Tony Wroten Jr. has also been able to use his size and slashing ability to garner easy looks for his teammates all tournament long. His ability to get into the lane will be a crucial factor in Tuesday night's match up.

The winner of Tuesday's night cap will play the winner of the other semifinal match, showcasing Stanford and UMass.

For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also learn more about college basketball around the nation at SB Nation's College Basketball hub.

NIT Tournament 2012 Schedule And Bracket

The Minnesota Golden Gophers will play in the NIT Final Four on Tuesday against the Washington Huskies at Madison Square Garden.

The other semifinal, which tips off first, will feature No. 5 UMass against No. 3 Stanford. That game is at 7 ET on ESPN2.

The No. 6 seed Gophers made the tournament semis after dispatching Middle Tennessee 78-72 on Wednesday. Prior to that they blasted the Miami Hurricanes 78-60 in Coral Gables.

The No. 1 seed Huskies, who didn't get an invite to the NCAA Tournament despite winning the outright Pac-12 regular season title, are coming off a 90-86 win over intra-conference foe Oregon. Before that UW trounced Northwestern 76-55.

Rodney Williams has paced the Gophers, averaging 22 points in the NIT and hitting an incredible 26 of 38 shots.

Sophomore guard Terrence Ross has led the Huskies. He has scored 23, 32 and 24 points, respectively, in the team's three wins, connecting on 12 of 30 three-point attempts.

Tuesday's TV schedule is:

No. 5 UMass vs. No. 3 Stanford, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2

No. 1 Washington vs. No. 6 Minnesota, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2

For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also learn more about college basketball around the nation at SB Nation's College Basketball hub.