Drexel survives Northern Iowa in the NIT

Drexel extended its basketball season Sunday, but not before fighting off a team that earned plenty of respect in an impressive two-game stay in Philadelphia.

Leading by as many as 18 points in the first half, Drexel held off a late charge to defeat the University of Northern Iowa, 65-63, in a second-round NIT game at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

The outcome wasn't decided until a forced double-pump three-point shot by Northern Iowa's Johnny Moran bounced off the back of the rim as time expired.

"If he makes that, then you are just unlucky," Drexel coach Bruiser Flint said. "It was a contested shot, and he pumped to get it up and he was just unlucky."

And Drexel was the opposite.

The Dragons (29-6) will play host to the University of Massachusetts on Tuesday in a quarterfinal that will match Flint and the school he guided before taking his current job 11 years ago.

Senior forward Samme Givens, who was limited to just eight minutes because of foul trouble in Drexel's 81-56 NIT opening win over the University of Central Florida, led the Dragons with 28 points. He shot 11 for 13 from the field and had five rebounds and three assists.

After the first NIT game, he got some sound advice from his parents.

"My father and mother said, 'You were a little too anxious. It's your first time in the postseason, so settle yourself down and play your game and go out and have fun,' and that is what I did today," Givens said.

Drexel guard Chris Fouch, who scored 19 points in the first NIT win, finished with 16 on Sunday. He shot 6 of 9 from the field - 4 of 6 from beyond the arc.

"Coach always talks about wanting to make the big plays. When things like that happen, I feel I can step up and make the big shot when we need it," said Fouch, who is 9 for 17 from beyond the arc in the two NIT wins.

Northern Iowa, which won at St. Joseph's, 67-65, in the opening round, finished 20-14. In the first game, the Panthers shot 3 for 20 from three-point range. Against Drexel, they were 10 for 23 from beyond the arc.

"We wanted them to shoot layups; we didn't want them to shoot threes," Flint said. "They got threes because we kept dropping off and totally lost our concentration on what we wanted to do in the second half."

With 35 seconds remaining, Moran drilled a three-pointer, cutting the Drexel lead to 61-60.

Givens made one of two free throws with 24.3 seconds to play.

Northern Iowa's leading scorer, Anthony James, then missed a driving layup, Givens got the rebound, and teammate Damion Lee was fouled with 12.9 seconds left.

Lee, who had not scored to that point, made both free throws, making it 64-60. Northern Iowa's Chip Rank hit a three-pointer with 6.1 seconds to go.

Drexel's Frantz Massenat then hit one of two free throws with five seconds remaining.

Moran's last-second shot didn't miss by much.