NEW YORK (AP) -- Frank Young and the West Virginia Mountaineers shot past Clemson to their first NIT title in 65 years.

Young scored 24 points, including six 3-pointers, and De'Sean Butler added 20 points to help West Virginia beat Clemson 78-to-73 in the NIT championship to Thursday night. Young was named the tournament's most outstanding player.

It was the Mountaineers' first NIT title since 1942 when Rudy Baric led West Virginia over Western Kentucky.

West Virginia had advanced to the championship game by edging Mississippi State 63-to-62 on Darris Nichols' buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Nichols finished with 13 points and nine assists in the championship game.

The Mountaineers used a 12-to-2 run at the end of the first half to take control of the game. The Tigers trailed by double digits for the entire second half before a late spurt cut it to five with three seconds left.

KC Rivers scored 18 points and Vernon Hamilton added 16 for Clemson.

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