JAMAICA, N.Y. -- In his last game at Alumni Hall, it was only fitting that graduate student Anthony Glover (Bronx, N.Y.) would lead the way for the St. Johns mens basketball team. Glover pounded his way to a team-high 16 points and led the Red Storm to a 79-71 win over Alabama-Birmingham in front of 3,227 at Alumni Hall Thursday night.

Glover, who is finishing his fifth year with the Red Storm, hit a circus sideshow layup  getting fouled underneath the basket and made the ensuing free throw with 3:51 to play in the middle of a 14-6 run in the second half as the Red Storm opened a 10-point lead, 70-60. The Blazers, who finish the season at 21-13, pulled to within five points late in the game, but could get no closer.

St. Johns (19-13) advances to the Final Four of the National Invitation Tournament for the first time since 1989, when the Red Storm won the programs fifth postseason NIT title. St. Johns will face Bobby Knight-led Texas Tech in the second of two semifinals at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night at 9:30 p.m. Minnesota and Georgetown will play in the first semifinal at 7:00 p.m..

"We are not playing against a team (Texas Tech) we are playing against a legend," head coach Mike Jarvis said about Coach Knight. "The first coaching seminar I ever attended was a one-man clinic by Bobby Knight."

"In fact, the first basketball book I ever read was written by Coach Knight. I still refer to that book which stressed defensive principles," Jarvis added. "No one has more respect for Bobby Knight as a coach and a teach than I do." On Thursday night, the lightning-quick Blazers of UAB, who use a full-court press to harass opponents, jumped out to a quick 11-6 lead on three-pointers from Eric Bush and Morris Finley, but the Red Storm used a 23-7 run over an 8:45 span to take a 29-18 lead on a layup from sophomore forward Eric King (Brooklyn, N.Y.).

UAB, however, forced 11 St. Johns turnovers in the first half, and outscored the Red Storm 14-5 over the remaining minutes of the half to cut the lead to 34-32 at the half.

A basket from Gabe Kennedy tied the game in the opening minutes of the second half, but Alabama native Grady Reynolds (Abbeyville, Ala.) scored seven points in a 17-9 run as St. Johns opened a 51-43 lead.

Led by the three-point shooting of Finley, who scored a game-high 25 points, the Blazers pulled to within two points, but the Red Storms run late in the game sealed the win.

Glover led St. Johns with 16 points, while Reynolds recorded his first career double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. The 14 rebounds by Reynolds were a career-high and the most for a St. Johns player since Glover grabbed 14 against Connecticut on February 9, 2002.

Junior forward Kyle Cuffe (Bronx, N.Y.) added 10 points and nine rebounds, while senior guard Marcus Hatten (Baltimore, Md.) added 15 points, six rebounds and four assists.

St. Johns connected on 42.6 percent of its field goals (26-of-61), 18.2 percent of its three-pointers (2-of-11) and 65.8 percent of its free throws (25-of-38).

The win over UAB was the second-ever for St. Johns, and first since beating the Blazers, 76-65, in the NIT semifinals back in 1989.

The matchup with Texas Tech on April 1 (9:30 p.m.) will be shown on national TV on ESPN and Mike Crispino, Anthony Fucilli and Tarik Turner will call all the action live on 1560AM Disney Radio. A spanish broadcast on 1260AM WADO will also be available.