March 14, 2001

Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Kevin Burleson scored a season-high 21 points as Minnesota beat Villanova 87-78 on Wednesday night in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.

Villanova's Michael Bradley, a second-team All-American, went to the bench with a bloody nose three minutes into the second half after a scuffle in the lane. He spent most of the half in the locker room and didn't return until the final minutes.

Before that, however, Bradley had scored just two points, taking only two shots in the first half. He entered the game with a 21.4 average.

Minnesota (18-13), which won the NIT in 1993 and 1998, will play Tulsa in the second round. The Golden Hurricane beat UC Irvine 75-71.

Terrance Simmons added 16 points, all in the second half, for the Gophers, who had lost 10 of their previous 12 games.

Ricky Wright scored a career-high 26 points for Villanova (18-13). The Wildcats trailed by nine points early in the second half but fought back to go ahead 68-66 on Wright's turnaround shot with 9:23 to play.

Minnesota then went on a 13-4 run, capped by six straight points from Simmons, for a 79-72 cushion.

Burleson made four of eight 3-point shots in the first half as Minnesota took a 44-38 lead. He finished 8-for-14 from the field.

Kerwin Fleming added 14 points for Minnesota and Dusty Rychart, the Gophers' leading scorer, finished with 10 points after not taking a shot in the first half.