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NIT
March 27, 2003
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- At this pace, Georgetown won't mind another road trip.
Playing their third straight game away from home in the NIT, the Hoyas knocked off North Carolina 79-74 Wednesday, advancing to the semifinals in New York.
"I admire what they've done," UNC coach Matt Doherty said. "They got home late after the Providence game, they bused in here and got in at 2 a.m., didn't have a shoot-around and came with a lot of energy. I'm real impressed with what Georgetown accomplished."
Star forward Mike Sweetney said the Hoyas knew from the start of the tournament they would be hitting the road.
"It's pretty rough, going to other people's home floors, especially here," Sweetney said of the Smith Center, which drew 15,043. "Fans were heckling us and we had nobody on our side. We had nothing but ourselves."
That was good enough as Georgetown (18-14) faces the winner of tonight's Minnesota-Temple game. The Hoyas beat Tennessee and the Friars on the road in the first two rounds.
Drew Hall's 3-pointer with 58.2 seconds left broke a 70-all tie and halted North Carolina's late rally. Georgetown made six straight free throws over the final 16.6 seconds to seal it.
Gerald Riley scored 11 of his 22 during a run midway through the second half to open a tight game and help deny the Tar Heels (19-16) a 20-win season one year after going a program-worst 8-20.
TEXAS TECH 80, GA. TECH 72: Andre Emmett scored 29 to lead the host Red Raiders, sending Bob Knight to the tournament's semifinals for the sixth time in his 37 years coaching.
Knight, in his second year at Texas Tech, took Army to the NIT three times and Indiana twice. His 1979 Indiana team won the tournament, beating Purdue 53-52. It is the first time the Red Raiders (21-12) have been one of the final four teams in any postseason tournament.
Texas Tech (21-12) used an 18-3 in a four-minute stretch midway through the second half to pull away. Until 13:04 of the second half, there were five ties and 12 lead changes.
HARRICK'S FUTURE: Georgia athletic director Vince Dooley plans to make a decision about the future of suspended coach Jim Harrick by the end of next week.
"Some decision needs to be made by the Final Four," Dooley said. "Programs need to be decided around that time."
The NCAA men's Final Four, which begins April5 in New Orleans, is a common place for job interviews because nearly all college coaches attend the National Basketball Coaches Association convention at that time.
Harrick has been suspended with pay since March 10 after academic fraud was discovered within the program.