DePaul University Athletics
Blue Demons Advance to NIT West Regional
3/19/2007 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
Box Score
Post Game Audio
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) -- Sammy Mejia and Wilson Chandler led DePaul with 18 points each, and the Blue Demons reached the NIT West Regional finals with a 70-65 second-round victory over Kansas State on Monday night.
Draelon Burns added 17 points for third-seeded DePaul, which will face top-seeded Air Force on Wednesday in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The Blue Demons (20-13) reached the 20-win mark for the third time in the last four seasons and won two straight postseason games for the first time since the 1990 NIT.
Kansas State (23-12), the West's No. 2 seed, has not advanced past the second round in the postseason since reaching the NIT semifinals in 1994.
The Wildcats had their chances at the line in a tense, physical game in which technical fouls were called on both coaches. However, they missed seven of their 17 foul shots.
Cartier Martin hit a 3-pointer from the corner with 22 seconds to go to pull the Wildcats within two points.
But Burns hit the front end of a two-shot foul with 20.5 seconds left, making it 68-65, and DePaul got the ball back when Kansas State's David Hoskins tipped the ball out of bounds.
Chandler hit two free throws with 17.5 seconds left for the game's final points, then took a long pass and dribbled out the clock after Kansas State's last possession ended in a turnover.
Hoskins led Kansas State with 24 points. Martin added 21 in his last game for the Wildcats and Clent Stewart finished with 15.
The Blue Demons face No. 1 seed Air Force on Wednesday, March 21. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN2 and tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. (CST).
