McGhee scores 26, leads Liberty over Villanova 62-57 in NIT

LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) — Darius McGhee sank five 3-pointers and scored 26 points to lead Liberty to a 62-57 victory over Villanova on Tuesday night in the first round of the NIT.

McGhee added four assists and four turnovers for the third-seeded Flames (27-8), who advance to play No. 2 seed Wisconsin in the second round. Colin Porter finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Zach Cleveland came off the bench to grab 12 rebounds and hand out five assists to go with six points.

Brandon Slater scored 18 points to lead the Wildcats (17-17). He added nine rebounds. Eric Dixon had 12 points and 13 rebounds, while Mark Armstrong scored 12.

McGhee scored 12 points in the first half to lead Liberty to a 32-25 advantage at the break.

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