NEW YORK (AP) David Skara sank the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 20 seconds left and Valparaiso held off BYU 72-70 on Tuesday night to reach the championship game of the National Invitation Tournament.
Skara came off the bench to score a season-high 15 points, none bigger than his jumper that gave the top-seeded Crusaders (30-6) a 71-68 advantage after they had squandered a 16-point cushion.
Alec Peters also had 15 points for the Crusaders, who will play for the title Thursday night at Madison Square Garden against the winner of the second semifinal between George Washington and San Diego State.
Kyle Collinsworth paced the Cougars (26-11) with 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in his final college game. Nick Emery scored 18 and Chase Fischer added 16.
