Kinsey, South Carolina continue quest for second NIT crown

No. 3 South Carolina (21-15) at No. 1 Louisville (21-12) 9:00 pm EST

NEW YORK (Ticker) - Tarence Kinsey and South Carolina have faced some close calls lately. That couldn't bode better for their chances of a repeat.

Kinsey and the third-seeded Gamecocks look to move one step closer to a second straight National Invitational Tournament title when they face No. 1 Louisville in the semifinals at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

Looking to become the first repeat champions since St. John's in 1943-44, South Carolina (21-15) has dodged some bullets in its return appearance to the NIT.

On March 21, Kinsey needed to sink three free throws with 26 seconds left in overtime to eke out a 69-68 victory at Florida State. Two days later, Tre Kelley led a second-half rally as the Gamecocks edged Cincinnati on the road, 68-65.

The tight contests are a good sign for South Carolina, which had three wins by three points or fewer in last season's title run. In the championship game against Saint Joseph's last season, Kinsey hit a 3-pointer with nine-tenths of a second left to seal a 60-57 win.

The Gamecocks now will face a Cardinals squad that has rolled through the NIT bracket with an average margin of victory of 13.7 points.

In Louisville's latest win on Wednesday, Taquan Dean sank five 3-pointers and scored 26 points in a 74-56 victory over Missouri State. It was the second win by more than 17 points in the tournament for the Cardinals.

One of the main weapons in Louisville's run to the Final Four last season, Dean is averaging 22.3 points and shooting 50 percent (15-of-30) in three NIT games.

This is the 18th meeting between the two schools and the first since 1991. The Cardinals (21-12) have a 13-4 mark in the all-time series.

The winner will face either Michigan or Old Dominion in Thursday's final.