INDIANAPOLIS — Dre Davis scored on a layup with 16 seconds left to cap Seton Hall’s decisive late run, giving the Pirates a 79-77 victory over Indiana State on Thursday night and their first NIT championship since 1953.
Seton Hall (25-12) scored the final nine points in a battle between two No. 1 seeds to erase a 77-70 deficit. Davis finished with 18 points in Indianapolis, his hometown. Al-Amir Dawes led the Pirates with 24 points, and Kadary Richmond had 21 points and 13 rebounds in their fifth straight win at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Dawes was named the tournament’s most outstanding player as coach Shaheen Holloway had another successful postseason run in Indianapolis. He led Saint Peter’s into the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 with wins over Kentucky and Murray State two years ago in Gainbridge Fieldhouse before beating Purdue in Philadelphia to reach the Elite Eight.
Isaiah Swope scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half to lead the Sycamores (32-7), who fell one win short of their first national postseason title since the 1950 NAIA championship and one win short of the school’s single-season record set by the 1978-79 NCAA tournament runners-up led by future NBA legend Larry Bird.
Julian Larry had 18 points, a career-high four 3-pointers and six assists, while Robbie Avila and Jayson Kent each scored 13 points.