SFA (26-5) will play Massachusetts at 5 p.m. Tuesday night in Amherst, Mass.
SFA is the No. 7 seed in the bracket. UMass is No. 2.
The Minutemen of the Atlantic 10 Conference are 21-1. The lost to Charlotte 69-65 in the Atlantic 10 Tournament Thursday.
SFA players and coaches learned of their destination and opponent while watching the NIT selection show on ESPN2 Sunday.
SFA head coach Danny Kaspar told players to go pack their bags and prepare for travel.
“We’re going to Boston,” the coach said. “This is really a rush job. I have no complaints, other than we’re playing Tuesday.
“I wish we had another day, especially since we’re traveling.”
Massachusetts won six straight games going into the Atlantic 10 Tournament before losing to Charlotte, when it was outrebounded 44-27 and hit just 7-of-17 free throws.
The Minutemen led 36-19 at halftime before being outscored 50-29 in the second half.
Massachusetts is coached by Travis Ford, who played basketball at Kentucky for Rick Pitino.
“I just know he played for Pitino, so they’ll probably pressure us with a full-court press,” Kaspar said.
A win by SFA will put it in a game against the winner between Florida State and Akron.
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Tags: northwestern,
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NEW ORLEANS, La. - There is an old saying in baseball that hitting is contagious.
In Wednesday afternoon’s ballgame between Tulane and Northwestern State, it was an outright epidemic as the Green Wave pounded out a season-best 23 hits to defeat the Demons, 18-11, at the new Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.
Freshman third baseman Rob Segedin tied a school single-game record by going 6-for-6 with a home run, a double and six RBI. Not to be out-done, junior left fielder Anthony Scelfo went 5-for-6 with a homer and junior designated hitter Andrew Rodgers went 3-for-3 with two homers and five RBI.
“It was just one of those things were we started having good at-bats early, guys built on each other and we had a great day,” Tulane associate head coach Mark Kingston said. “(UC) Irvine’s pitching was so good (last weekend), that when you come back and you get through that, you’re guys are better as a result.
“Irvine’s ERA was a 1.13 and we had to battle. But I think we are better hitters because of it and I think that showed last night. Even though we had nine hits (on Tuesday), we could easily have had probably 15. Having 23 again today, I think you’re starting to see the residual effects of playing good teams that have very good pitching early in the season.”
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Tags: northwestern,
state