NEW YORK CITY — Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander isn’t foolish enough to say his team will win Tuesday’s semifinal with Wichita State. 

“Oddsmakers say we’ve got a fighting chance,” Alexander said. “We’ll approach this game like every other one. The mentality from our team is that we’re going to win the game.”

“I don’t read too much into the storylines,” Alexander said.

Wichita State is unconventional. Gregg Marshall and Co. are the first team in NIT history to advance to Madison Square Garden by way of knocking off No. 1, 2 and 3 seeds. Lipscomb, out of the Atlantic Sun Conference, also won three games on the road to get to the semifinals. The Bisons scored 94 points to topple North Carolina State in a one-point victory in the quarterfinals.

Advancing through the tournament is no easy task. Alexander has his eyes on Shocker senior Markis McDuffie — someone who can decide the outcome of a game. He’s averaged 19 points per game in the NIT and shot 47 percent from the field.

“It’s a tough matchup for sure,” Alexander said. “It’s pretty unconventional for a guy in that position to be a leading scorer, shot taker and shot maker.

“We’re concerned about it,” Alexander said.

McDuffie is an unconventional 21-year-old senior. He’s grateful to continue his season as long as he can, and he said he’s going to play his game — “offensively or defensively.”

The No. 6 seed Shockers will meet No. 5 seed Lipscomb Bisons at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday in Madison Square Garden.