Dyson, Walker lead No. 13 Connecticut to 81-55 win over LSU in NIT Season Tip-Off

Backcourt leads No. 13 UConn to 81-55 rout of LSU

NEW YORK — Jerome Dyson and backcourt mate Kemba Walker each scored 20 points, and No. 13 Connecticut routed previously unbeaten LSU 81-55 on Wednesday night in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Gavin Edwards added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Huskies, who advanced to play No. 7 Duke or Arizona State for the championship on Friday at Madison Square Garden. Stanley Robinson finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

UConn (4-0) had been underwhelming during its first three games this season, even trailing Hofstra by nine late in the second half in the tournament quarterfinals.

The Huskies were simply overwhelming in this one.

Connecticut held Tasmin Mitchell to nine points and Bo Spencer to five on 2 of 14 shooting. The Tigers’ leading scorer, Spencer briefly left the game with about 15 minutes remaining after hurting his right ankle while losing control going up for a layup.

Of course, the Huskies grabbed the loose ball and raced the other way for their own easy layup.

That made it 59-36 and, despite the zealous cheers from a small group of purple-clad LSU fans sitting about 20 rows up, the Huskies were on cruise control. Dyson hit his second 3-pointer of the half, then added an open jumper and fast-break layup as the advantage swelled to 67-38.

Dyson had struggled to find his shot after missing the final 12 games last season with a torn meniscus in his right knee, but everything he put up in this one had perfect rotation and a velvety touch. The 6-foot-4 senior finished 7 of 16 from the field.

Storm Warren scored 15 to lead the Tigers, who were making their first trip to the Garden for an NIT game since the consolation finals of the 1970 postseason tournament. Garrett Green played for LSU (3-1) but had only three points after spraining his left ankle working out on an off day last week.

The Tigers might have had more luck had they gotten more shots to the rim. UConn blocked 13 attempts, continuing a tradition of leading the nation in that category each of the last eight years. Many thought the streak would end this season after UConn lost 7-foot-3 shot-swatter Hasheem Thabeet to the NBA.

The Huskies have had their problems in the preseason NIT, losing semifinal games in 1997 and 2003, but used superior size and athleticism to blitz LSU from the start.

UConn led 13-10 when Walker began a quick 8-0 run with a contested layup, and the Big East powerhouse methodically stretched the lead. A bucket by Donnell Beverly with 5:09 left made it 31-20, and Walker — a standout at Rice High School in New York City — hit a 3-pointer and pair of foul shots in the last minute of the half to make it 45-29.

The generous cushion made walking off the court a lot more pleasant than the last time UConn did it at the Garden, when it was on the short end of a six-overtime thriller against Syracuse in March during the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament. UConn shrugged off that disappointment to make an inspired run to the Final Four a few weeks later.

This won’t be the only trip to the Garden this season for coach Jim Calhoun’s Huskies. Besides the league tournament in the spring, Connecticut will meet No. 5 Kentucky on Dec. 9 in the marquee matchup of the SEC/Big East Challenge.

(No. 13 Connecticut 81, LSU 55; SUBS 5th graf to correct to Spencer, sted Simpson)