The finals of the NIT Championship will pit familiar foes against each other as UAB and North Texas will meet for the fourth time this season in Thursday's title game after both won thrilling semifinal games on Tuesday in Las Vegas. Both teams are completing their final seasons in Conference USA, which is 17-1 in postseason games, and will be joining the AAC next season. The Mean Green have a 2-1 edge in the season series, although UAB's lone victory came in the most recent meeting, when the Blazers knocked UNT out in the C-USA Tournament semifinals.
North Texas completed a remarkable rally over the final nine minutes of the first NIT semifinal on Tuesday night to edge Wisconsin 56-54. The Mean Green held the Badgers scoreless over the game's final nine minutes and produced just enough offense of their own to rally from a 54-46 deficit.
Tylor Perry led North Texas with 16 points, 14 of which came in the first half. The hero of the second half was Rubin Jones, who scored all 12 of his points after the break, including a game-tying jumper with 2:45 remaining. Defense was the defining element of UNT's rally, though, as Wisconsin made just one shot from the floor over the game's final 13 minutes.
In the second semifinal, UAB outlasted Utah Valley 88-86 in overtime behind a career-high 30 points from Ty Brewer, who made 13 of 17 shots from the field, including a 4-of-5 performance from 3-point range. Brewer's big night came in handy as Blazers' star Jordan "Jelly" Walker made just 5 of 23 shots from the floor and finished with 17 points. In the closing seconds of overtime, Walker made 1 of 2 free throws allowing Utah Valley to try a last-second, full-court heave as time expired, but it was off the mark.
2023 NIT scores, schedule
All times ET
Semifinals
Tuesday, March 28 (Orleans Arena in Las Vegas)
- No. 2 North Texas 56, No. 2 Wisconsin 54
- No. 4 UAB 88, Utah Valley 86 (OT)
Championship
Thursday, March 30 (Orleans Arena in Las Vegas)
- No. 4 UAB vs. No. 2 North Texas, 9:30 p.m.
NIT scores from previous rounds
First round
- No. 1 Oklahoma State 69, Youngstown State 64
- No. 3 Sam Houston 58, Santa Clara 56
- No. 2 North Texas 69, Alcorn State 53
- Eastern Washington 81, No. 4 Washington State 74
- No. 1 Oregon 84, UC Irvine 58
- No. 2 Liberty 62, Villanova 57
- No. 2 Wisconsin 81, Bradley 62
- UCF 69, Florida 49
- Hofstra 88, No. 1 Rutgers 86
- No. 3 Colorado 65, Seton Hall 64
- Utah Valley 83, No. 3 New Mexico 69
- No. 4 Cincinnati 81, Virginia Tech 72
- Morehead State 68, No. 1 Clemson 64
- No. 2 Vanderbilt 71, Yale 62
- No. 3 Michigan 90, Toledo 80
- No. 4 UAB 88, Southern Miss 60
Second round
- No. 4 Cincinnati 79, Hofstra 65
- No. 2 Vanderbilt 66, No. 3 Michigan 65
- No. 2 Wisconsin 75, No. 3 Liberty 71
- No. 1 Oklahoma State 71, Eastern Washington 60
- No. 4 UAB 77, Morehead State 69
- No. 2 North Texas 75, No. 3 Sam Houston State 55
- No. 1 Oregon 68, UCF 54
- Utah Valley 81, No. 3 Colorado 69
Quarterfinals
- No. 2 North Texas 65, No. 1 Oklahoma State 59 (OT)
- No. 2 Wisconsin 61, No. 1 Oregon 58
- No. 4 UAB 67, No. 2 Vanderbilt 59
- Utah Valley 74, No. 4 Cincinnati 68
