Under The Radar Postseason News, Notes and Highlighted Games – Sunday, March 20

Only 3 games were played yesterday not involving the NCAA Tournament; Creighton saw to it immediately that lightning would not strike twice for the Wagner Seahawks.  Geoffrey Groselle had 18 points for the Bluejays in an 87-54 rout; the 33-point win was a school record for biggest win in the postseason. They will travel to BYU on Tuesday to play for a spot in the NIT Final Four at Madison Square Garden.

Kasey Shepherd had 18 points for Louisiana-Lafayette in their 80-72 win at Furman yesterday; Shepherd also became the Rajun Cajuns’ 43rd member of their 1,000-point club. In the other 2nd-round CIT game yesterday, Badou Diagne had 19 points and 10 rebounds in Coastal Carolina’s 71-62 win against New Hampshire. The Chanticleers will host a quarterfinal game on Wednesday; their opponent will be determined after the final 2 second-round games have wrapped up tomorrow night.

NIT

(2) FLORIDA AT (3) OHIO STATE (12:00 PM, ESPN) – Despite hitting the road for all of their postseason games due to O-Dome renovations, Florida coasted to an easy win against in-state neighbor North Florida last week. Ohio State had a little tougher road to get to Round 2; they needed overtime and a missed Akron shot at the end of regulation to survive and advance. Florida’s best win away from home came against Saint Joe’s back in November, but that was at a neutral court at Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena. Ohio State scheduled this game for a Sunday to avoid conflicts with the girls’ high school championships taking place before today.

(3) GEORGIA AT (2) ST. MARY”S (7:30 PM, ESPNU) – St. Mary’s survived against New Mexico State in Round 1 thanks to a pair of free throws by Joe Rahon in the closing seconds; Georgia had a little easier road after defeating Belmont at home. Other than games against South Carolina, Georgia has not been stellar at all away from home.

CIT (all games streamed on the CIT’s website)

TENNESSEE-MARTIN AT BALL STATE (6:30 PM) – Our colleague Chad Sherwood is more impressed with Furman’s buzzer beater last week, but I stand by Ball State’s comeback against Tennessee State on the road as being a better story in terms of the opening round of the CIT. Tonight, they get to host their first-ever game against a Skyhawks team that beat Central Michigan 76-73 in their opener.