On Tuesday, the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) men’s basketball team advanced to the NIT (National Invitational Tournament) championship game with a high scoring 88 to 86 win over Utah Valley win in the NIT semifinals game. UAB will play North Texas on Thursday night on ESPN2 in Las Vegas.
UAB won the first half 41 to 37 but lost the second half 33 to 37. Regulation ended with the game tied. The game remained tied with one minute left in overtime. UAB won the overtime 14 to 12.
Ty Brewer had the best game of his college career with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 steals. Brewer also hit the jump shot in overtime to give the Blazers the lead with 45 seconds left in overtime. The six-foot-seven-inch senior forward is from Meridian, Mississippi. Brewer played for four years at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) but had a fifth year of NCAA eligibility due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Guard Jordan Walker iced the game down the stretch making three of his four free throws to maintain the lead. He had 17 points and six assists Tuesday night. Walker is a 5-foot-11-inch senior guard from Long Island, New York. Walker began his college career at Seton Hall. He spent two years at Tulane, where he received his college degree. He spent his last two seasons at UAB. He also had a fifth year of NCAA eligibility due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Eric Gaines had 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. The 6-foot-2-inch sophomore guard is from Lithonia, Georgia. He started his college career at LSU.
“I was really pleased with the way we started the game; our plan was to be disruptive,” said UAB head coach Andy Kennedy. “Utah Valley is one of the most dynamic offensive teams we’ve played all season. They have multiple guys on the perimeter that can make plays, and that was evident throughout the second half.”
This will be the first time in the history of the program that UAB has played in an NIT championship game. UAB defeated North Texas in the Conference USA tournament semifinals. North Texas and UAB marched through their NIT bracket to get to the championship game, which could indicate that the NCAA Tournament selection committee undervalued Conference USA teams this year.
The University of Alabama men’s basketball team’s run ended in the sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Auburn University’s tournament run ended in the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.
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