BLACKSBURG, Va. Dorenzo Hudson scored 17 of his game-high 27 points during the second half to help Virginia Tech slip past Connecticut 65-63 Monday in the National Invitation Tournament.

The Hokies (25-8), who tied a school record for victories, advanced to a quarterfinal home game against Rhode Island.

After a timeout with 22 seconds left and Virginia Tech trailing 63-62, Hudson sank a 17-footer with 14.1 seconds to go for a one-point lead. After the Huskies (18-16) called timeout, Kemba Walker, who led UConn with 18 points, had a shot blocked by Jeff Allen. Walker got the loose ball and threw it to Gavin Edwards, who missed a layup and the Hokies' Terrell Bell got the rebound.

Walker fouled Bell with less than a second to go and Bell made the second of two free throws, giving Virginia Tech a 65-63 lead. Walker's long shot was off the mark as time expired.

RHODE ISLAND 85, NEVADA 83: Delroy James scored a career-high 34, and the host Rams (25-9) edged the Wolf Pack (21-13) by holding Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year Luke Babbitt to 14 points - eight below his season average.

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APPALACHIAN STATE 80, MARSHALL 72: Donald Sims scored 30 for the Mountaineers, who opened the second half with a 22-7 surge to take control at Marshall (24-10) in the second round of the College Insider.com tournament. Appalachian State (24-12) advances to Wednesday's semifinals.

Lebo takes over at E. Carolina

GREENVILLE, N.C. East Carolina has turned to former Auburn coach Jeff Lebo to lead its long-struggling men's program. Lebo had spent the past six seasons at Auburn, going 96-93 before he was fired this month.

Lebo, 43, played at North Carolina under Dean Smith during the late 1980s and also had coached at Tennessee Tech and Chattanooga. He replaces Mack McCarthy, who spent three seasons on the sideline for the Pirates before taking a fundraising job in the school's athletics department.

The Pirates haven't been to the NCAA tournament since making a surprise run to win the 1993 Colonial Athletic Association tournament and hasn't had a winning record since the 1996-97 season. East Carolina has reached .500 once since then and compiled a 141-230 record. AP

Notes

MEMPHIS: The Tigers must vacate their record 38-win 2007-08 season after the NCAA rejected its appeal. Memphis was found to have used an ineligible player, believed to be Derrick Rose. The decision will result in an asterisk beside the 38-2 mark, when Memphis made the NCAA final, and approximately $615,000 in lost tournament revenue.

MICHIGAN STATE: Kalin Lucas, a two-time All-Big Ten player and leads the Spartans in points and assists, will miss the rest of the NCAA tournament after an MRI confirmed he ruptured his left Achilles tendon. Korie Lucious will start Friday against Northern Iowa.

VIRGINIA: Freshman swingman Tristan Spurlock, who averaged less than three points and one rebound in 13 games, is leaving the team. Coach Tony Bennett said the departure was a mutual agreement. OBSERVER NEWS SERVICES