Nov. 24, 2004

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Michigan hopes to continue its tournament success at Madison Square Garden when it takes on Arizona in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT.

The Wolverines won the postseason NIT here last spring, beating Rutgers in the final, 62-55. No team ever has won the two NITs back-to-back.

The winner will face either Wake Forest or Providence in the final.

Michigan has outscored its opponents by an average of 14.3 points this season and is coming off a 70-49 triumph over Sacramento State last Friday.

Courtney Sims scored 17 points and Dion Harris, who leads the team at 18.0 points per game, added 14 for the Wolverines, who had four players score in double figures in a game for the first time since beating Oregon in the NIT semifinals.

Arizona (2-1) is coming off a 78-60 loss at Virginia on Sunday in which it committed 21 turnovers and was outscored in the paint, 46-20.

Channing Frye collected 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Wildcats, who shot just under 40 percent.

Arizona leads its all-time series with Michigan, 6-2, though it lost the last meeting, 73-71 in Ann Arbor on December 21, 1996.

The Wildcats beat the Wolverines in the Preseason NIT semifinals on November 22, 1995, 86-79.