Wichita State Wins N.I.T. And Hopes Best Is Ahead

Everyone knows not to run with scissors. But how about dancing?

Having just won the National Invitation Tournament championship by defeating Alabama, 66-57, the giddy Wichita State Coach Gregg Marshall already had scissors in hand to cut down the net while accepting his N.I.T. watch. As a recording of Tina Turner’s “Simply the Best” played, he swung his hips on the Madison Square Garden floor, tapped his feet and cut the air with his scissors.

Before a small but partisan Shockers crowd of 4,873, Wichita State (29-8) won the N.I.T. for the first time in 12 appearances. The seniors Graham Hatch and J. T. Durley led Wichita State with 12 points apiece. Hatch, who called the night magical, made all four of his 3-point attempts and was named the tournament’s outstanding player.

“A special group of guys that deserve everything they now have coming to them,” Marshall said of his team.

The Crimson Tide, which ranked seventh in the country in scoring defense, frustrated the Shockers into 10 first-half turnovers with full-court pressure. But when Alabama’s leading scorer and rebounder, JaMychal Green, sat out for eight minutes after committing his fourth foul with 11 minutes to go, the Crimson Tide lost firepower.

What had been a tight game swung Wichita State’s way for good when Hatch made two 3-pointers to open a 12-point lead with three minutes remaining.

“I was just thankful to be there for my team when they needed me,” Hatch said. “I can die a happy man now.”

Tony Mitchell led Alabama (25-12) with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

After missing out on the Missouri Valley Conference’s automatic bid to the N.C.A.A. tournament, which Marshall said “decimated” his players, the Shockers ended the season on a positive note.

Wichita State, the No. 4 seed in the N.I.T., beat Nebraska of the Big 12, Virginia Tech of the Atlantic Coast Conference, College of Charleston of the Southern Conference and Washington State of the Pac-10 on the way to the title game against Alabama of the Southeastern Conference. The Shockers, who beat Washington State by 31 points in the semifinals, won their five N.I.T. games by an average of 13.4 points.

Half the teams that played in the last four N.I.T. championship games have since earned an N.C.A.A. seeding of No. 3 or higher. Five of the top eight seeded teams in this year’s N.C.A.A. tournament (No. 1 Ohio State and the No. 2’s Florida, Notre Dame, San Diego State and North Carolina) advanced to the N.I.T. semifinals in the past three seasons.

“It should bode well for our future,” Marshall said.

Having set a program record for victories Tuesday, the Shockers can consider themselves a part of the Garden history that mesmerized Marshall when he first walked the halls this week — past photos of Mick Jagger and Red Buttons performing.

Nearby, a snapshot of the 1970 N.B.A. champion Knicks caught Marshall’s eye. The picture included two former Wichita State players, Dave Stallworth and Nate Bowman. Another alumnus, Xavier McDaniel, played for the Knicks in the 1991-92 season.

As Wichita State’s cheerleaders danced like the Rockettes in the postgame celebration, and Frank Sinatra’s rendition of “New York, New York” played on the public-address system, Marshall danced again. This time with a net in hand.