Michigan State upsets Texas

Drew Neitzel scored on a drive with 2.4 seconds left Thursday night to give Michigan State a 63-61 victory over No. 19 Texas in the semifinals of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at New York.

Neitzel, the only junior in the Spartans starting lineup with two sophomores and two freshmen, took an inbounds with 8.4 seconds left. He dribbled behind the 3-point line, from where both teams seemed to be taking the majority of their shots, put the ball on the floor and drove right down the lane for the winning points.

Texas called a timeout and had a final chance, but A.J. Abrams’ long shot from a step inside halfcourt bounced off the rim.

Michigan State (4-0) will play Maryland for the championship Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

The Terrapins (4-0) beat St. John’s 92-60 in the other semifinal.

In a game of two young teams, freshmen were crucial for both.

Raymar Morgan had 18 points for Michigan State, while Kevin Durant had 21 for the Longhorns (2-1), one less than Abrams, a sophomore.

(1) Florida 90, Jacksonville 61: At Gainesville, Fla., Al Horford and Joakim Noah dominated again inside, combining for 34 points and 17 rebounds and leading the Gators (3-0) to a victory against the Dolphins (1-2).

(11) Duke 75, UNC-Greensboro 48: At Durham, N.C., Brian Zoubek scored 17 points off the bench to lead the Blue Devils (3-0) to a rout of the Spartans (0-3).

(13) Memphis 111, Jackson State 69: At Memphis, Tenn., Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 21 points to lead six Memphis (1-0) players in double figures in a rout over the Tigers (0-4).

(23) Georgia Tech 103, Georgia State 74: At Atlanta, Lewis Clinch scored 20 points to help the Yellow Jackets (3-0) beat the Panthers (0-2).