Minnesota Manhandles New Mexico

Travarus Bennett is doing his best to extend Minnesota’s season.

Bennett set career highs with 23 points and 15 rebounds, and Jerry Holman scored a career-best 22 points Wednesday night as Minnesota dominated New Mexico inside in a 96-62 victory in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament at Minneapolis.

“Some people felt that since we didn’t make the NCAAs, we wanted our season to be over,� Bennett said. “I think our play in the second half erased any doubt of that.�

Rick Rickert added 18 points for Minnesota, which closed the game with a 36-10 run. The Lobos were scoreless for a six-minute stretch.

“They were picking us apart,� Lobo Coach Fran Fraschilla said.

The Golden Gophers (18-12) advanced to the second round, where they’ll play host Monday to either Richmond or Montana State.

Ruben Douglas had three first-half three-pointers among his 22 points for New Mexico (16-14).

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Louisiana State 63, Iowa 61--Ronald Dupree scored 19 points and made the go-ahead basket with 1:22 left at Iowa City, Iowa.

LSU (19-14) blew a nine-point lead in the first half. But the Tigers came back to end a disappointing season for Iowa (19-16), which lost 13 of its last 20.

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Louisiana Tech 83, Louisiana Lafayette 63--Gerrod Henderson scored 22 points as Louisiana Tech (21-9) won at Ruston, La.

Tech led 36-27 at the half after shooting 48% to 31% by Lafayette (20-11).

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South Carolina 74, Virginia 67--Rolando Howell matched his career high with 24 points as South Carolina (19-14) won at Charlottesville, Va.

Virginia (17-12) has lost 12 consecutive postseason games.

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Vanderbilt 59, Houston 50--Reserve Sam Howard scored 14 points as Vanderbilt (17-14) had little problem with Houston (18-15) at Nashville.

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Tennessee Tech 64, Georgia St. 62--Cameron Crisp scored 17 points, including a jumper with 4.8 seconds left, to give Tennessee Tech (25-6) the win over Georgia State (20-11) at Cookeville, Tenn.

Tennessee Tech, which reached a postseason tournament for the first time since the 1985 NIT, advanced to a meeting Friday night with Dayton.

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Dayton 80, Detroit 69--Ramod Marshall scored 23 points to lead Dayton (21-10) over Detroit (18-13) at Dayton, Ohio.

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Richmond 74, Wagner 67--Mike Skrocki scored four straight points to give the Spiders (20-13) the lead for good late in overtime at Richmond, Va. Wagner finishes 19-10.

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Syracuse 76, St. Bonaventure 66--Preston Shumpert scored 28 points and Hakim Warrick had 14 as Syracuse (21-11) beat St. Bonaventure (17-13) at Syracuse, N.Y.