A Conference USA team has already won the CBI, another is in the Final Four and two more teams have a chance to earn some hardware of their own as the league continued it’s incredible postseason run with two wins in the NIT Semifinals, setting up a matchup on Thursday between North Texas and UAB.
North Texas has been one of the toughest defensive teams in the country all season and it showed up in a big way late, as the Mean Green closed out a 56-54 win with a 16-0 run against the Wisconsin Badgers to advance to the NIT Championship for the first time in a game they didn’t lead until their final bucket of the night.
Putting on the CLAMPS 😤😤😤@MeanGreenMBB takes down @BadgerMBB 56-54, erasing a 14 point deficit by holding the Badgers without a point for the final 9:07 🤯
J.B. Long and Casey Jacobsen had the call for Westwood One Sports.#NIT2023 #GMG pic.twitter.com/G9qFgtXHq1
— Westwood One Sports (@westwood1sports) March 29, 2023
On the other side of the bracket, the UAB Blazers led most of the way against the Utah Valley Wolverines but had to go the extra distance with an 88-86 overtime win to secure their first-ever shot at the NIT title.
It's an All-@ConferenceUSA NIT Championship!@UAB_MBB outlasts @UVUmbb 88-86 in an overtime thriller to advance to face @MeanGreenMBB.
We hope @JB_Long & @cjacobsen23 have had a chance to catch their breath after that wild finish 😅#NIT2023 #WinAsOne pic.twitter.com/mUrEJpeOOZ
— Westwood One Sports (@westwood1sports) March 29, 2023
