UAB

NTEXAS

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North Texas secures 1st NIT championship in C-USA showdown

AP
Mar 31, 2023

LAS VEGAS (AP) Kai Huntsberry scored 14 of his 21 points in the first half, Tylor Perry scored 14 of his 20 after halftime and North Texas beat fellow Conference USA foe UAB 68-61 on Thursday night to claim the program's first NIT championship.

It was the fourth NIT championship game to feature conference opponents - and the first in 20 years. Conference USA is now 18-2 in the NCAA postseason - with Charlotte winning the College Basketball Invitational title and FAU advancing to the Final Four.

Perry, the conference player of the year and NIT MVP, made a steal and a 3-pointer on a fast break to give North Texas the lead for good at 55-53 with 6:22 remaining. Aaron Scott extended it to 61-55 after making a high-arching layup and a jumper.

UAB guard Jordan Walker was fouled on a 3-pointer with 1:48 remaining and he made two free throws to get within 63-59. North Texas had two shots on its next possession after an offensive rebound and Perry sank a jumper.

After UAB made two more free throws with 49.6 seconds left, Perry dribbled down the clock and hit a step-back jumper, with a foot on the 3-point line, for a 68-61 lead. UAB missed a 3-pointer and Huntsberry was fouled at 13.2 before securing it at the line.

North Texas won its second NCAA postseason championship under sixth-year head coach Grant McCasland. The Mean Green won the 2018 CBI title in his first season in Denton.

Scott finished with 13 points and seven rebounds for North Texas (31-7), which set a program record for wins in a season.

Walker scored 21 points on 6-of-14 shooting for UAB (29-10), which was in the NIT title game for the first time in program history. KJ Buffen added 11 points.

Javian Davis converted a three-point play with 12:43 left in the second half for UAB's first lead, 47-45, since it was 15-14. The Mean Green scored 22 of the first 30 second-half points.

It was the fourth meeting of the season between the teams - with North Texas winning two regular-season meetings before a matchup in the conference tournament semifinals.

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AP March Madness coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

1st Half
UAB
Blazers
27
NTEX
Mean Green
37

Time		Play	Score
20:00		Trey Jemison vs. Moulaye Sissoko (Mean Green gains possession)
19:41	+3	Rubin Jones makes three point jump shot (Moulaye Sissoko assists)	0-3
19:17		Tavin Lovan misses two point layup
19:15		Mean Green defensive rebound
18:44	+2	Kai Huntsberry makes two point jump shot	0-5
18:15		Blazers turnover (shot clock violation)
17:47	+2	Aaron Scott makes two point jump shot (Tylor Perry assists)	0-7
17:27		Ty Brewer misses two point jump shot
17:25		Trey Jemison offensive rebound
17:15		Tavin Lovan misses two point layup
17:13		Trey Jemison offensive rebound
17:10		Aaron Scott shooting foul (KJ Buffen draws the foul)
17:10	+1	KJ Buffen makes regular free throw 1 of 2	1-7
17:10	+1	KJ Buffen makes regular free throw 2 of 2	2-7
16:50	+3	Kai Huntsberry makes three point jump shot (Tylor Perry assists)	2-10
16:28		Matthew Stone personal foul (Rongie Gordon draws the foul)
16:15		KJ Buffen misses three point jump shot
16:13		Kai Huntsberry defensive rebound
16:03		Jayden Martinez misses three point jump shot
16:01		KJ Buffen defensive rebound
15:47	+2	KJ Buffen makes two point layup (Jordan Walker assists)	4-10
15:32		Tylor Perry misses three point jump shot
15:30		Trey Jemison defensive rebound
15:15		Jordan Walker misses three point jump shot
15:13		Matthew Stone defensive rebound
14:45	+2	Tyree Eady makes two point layup	4-12
14:22	+3	Jordan Walker makes three point jump shot	7-12
14:10		Kai Huntsberry turnover (bad pass)
14:10		TV timeout
13:56	+3	Jordan Walker makes three point jump shot	10-12
13:56		Tylor Perry shooting foul (Jordan Walker draws the foul)
13:56	+1	Jordan Walker makes regular free throw 1 of 1	11-12
13:31		Kai Huntsberry misses two point jump shot
13:29		Eric Gaines defensive rebound
13:19	+2	Jordan Walker makes two point layup	13-12
12:56		Rubin Jones misses two point jump shot
12:54		Tony Toney defensive rebound
12:44	+2	Javian Davis makes two point jump shot	15-12
12:30		Eric Gaines personal foul (Tylor Perry draws the foul)
12:10		Kai Huntsberry misses three point jump shot
12:08		KJ Buffen defensive rebound
11:54		Javian Davis misses two point jump shot
11:52		Moulaye Sissoko defensive rebound
11:45		Aaron Scott misses two point jump shot
11:43		Moulaye Sissoko offensive rebound
11:43		Javian Davis personal foul (Moulaye Sissoko draws the foul)
11:43		TV timeout
11:38		Kai Huntsberry misses two point layup
11:36		Moulaye Sissoko offensive rebound
11:20	+2	Moulaye Sissoko makes two point layup (Aaron Scott assists)	15-14
11:09		Eric Gaines turnover (Aaron Scott steals)
11:04	+2	Aaron Scott makes two point layup	15-16
10:43		Eric Gaines misses three point jump shot
10:41		Tony Toney offensive rebound
10:34		Tony Toney turnover (Moulaye Sissoko steals)
10:33		Eric Gaines shooting foul (Aaron Scott draws the foul)
10:33	+1	Aaron Scott makes regular free throw 1 of 2	15-17
10:33	+1	Aaron Scott makes regular free throw 2 of 2	15-18
10:12		Ty Brewer misses two point jump shot
10:10		Kai Huntsberry defensive rebound
10:04		Aaron Scott misses two point layup
10:02		Jayden Martinez offensive rebound
10:02	+2	Jayden Martinez makes two point dunk	15-20
10:02		Blazers 30 second timeout
9:36		Tavin Lovan turnover (Tylor Perry steals)
9:28		Aaron Scott misses two point jump shot
9:26		Tavin Lovan defensive rebound
9:13		Jayden Martinez shooting foul (Trey Jemison draws the foul)
9:13	+1	Trey Jemison makes regular free throw 1 of 2	16-20
9:13	+1	Trey Jemison makes regular free throw 2 of 2	17-20
8:50	+2	Tylor Perry makes two point layup	17-22
8:50		Trey Jemison shooting foul (Tylor Perry draws the foul)
8:50	+1	Tylor Perry makes regular free throw 1 of 1	17-23
8:29		Ledarrius Brewer misses three point jump shot
8:27		Tyree Eady defensive rebound
8:17		Tylor Perry misses three point jump shot
8:15		Ledarrius Brewer defensive rebound
8:06		Tyree Eady shooting foul (Trey Jemison draws the foul)
8:06	+1	Trey Jemison makes regular free throw 1 of 2	18-23
8:06	+1	Trey Jemison makes regular free throw 2 of 2	19-23
7:45		Rubin Jones misses three point jump shot
7:43		Tylor Perry offensive rebound
7:38	+3	Kai Huntsberry makes three point jump shot (Tylor Perry assists)	19-26
7:19		Trey Jemison misses two point hook shot
7:17		Rubin Jones defensive rebound
7:14		Jordan Walker personal foul (Rubin Jones draws the foul)
7:14		TV timeout
6:59		Kai Huntsberry misses two point jump shot
6:57		KJ Buffen defensive rebound
6:43	+2	Trey Jemison makes two point layup (Jordan Walker assists)	21-26
6:30		Rubin Jones turnover (Ledarrius Brewer steals)
6:25		Ledarrius Brewer turnover (Tylor Perry steals)
6:25		Mean Green 30 second timeout
5:59		Tylor Perry offensive foul (KJ Buffen draws the foul)
5:59		Tylor Perry turnover (offensive foul)
5:43		Jordan Walker misses three point jump shot
5:41		Moulaye Sissoko defensive rebound
5:12		Kai Huntsberry misses two point jump shot
5:10		Aaron Scott offensive rebound
5:09		Mean Green turnover (shot clock violation)
4:51		Aaron Scott blocks Ledarrius Brewer's two point jump shot
4:49		Blazers offensive rebound
4:42		Jordan Walker misses two point layup
4:40		KJ Buffen offensive rebound
4:36		KJ Buffen misses two point layup
4:34		KJ Buffen offensive rebound
4:30		Moulaye Sissoko blocks KJ Buffen's two point layup
4:28		Moulaye Sissoko defensive rebound
4:19	+2	Moulaye Sissoko makes two point dunk (Rubin Jones assists)	21-28
3:56	+2	Tavin Lovan makes two point layup (KJ Buffen assists)	23-28
3:38		TV timeout
3:26		Jayden Martinez misses three point jump shot
3:24		Ty Brewer defensive rebound
2:56		Tavin Lovan misses two point layup
2:54		Blazers offensive rebound
2:54		Blazers turnover (shot clock violation)
2:45		Rubin Jones turnover (Ty Brewer steals)
2:41		Rubin Jones personal foul (Ty Brewer draws the foul)
2:41	+1	Ledarrius Brewer makes regular free throw 1 of 2	24-28
2:41	+1	Ledarrius Brewer makes regular free throw 2 of 2	25-28
2:26		Trey Jemison personal foul (Kai Huntsberry draws the foul)
2:13	+3	Tylor Perry makes three point jump shot (Kai Huntsberry assists)	25-31
1:54		Jordan Walker misses two point layup
1:52		Rubin Jones defensive rebound
1:45	+2	Kai Huntsberry makes two point layup	25-33
1:28		Kai Huntsberry personal foul (Jordan Walker draws the foul)
1:28		Jordan Walker misses regular free throw 1 of 1
1:28		Aaron Scott defensive rebound
0:59	+2	Kai Huntsberry makes two point jump shot	25-35
0:45		Aaron Scott personal foul (Ty Brewer draws the foul)
0:45	+1	Ty Brewer makes regular free throw 1 of 2	26-35
0:45	+1	Ty Brewer makes regular free throw 2 of 2	27-35
0:20		KJ Buffen shooting foul (Kai Huntsberry draws the foul)
0:20	+1	Kai Huntsberry makes regular free throw 1 of 2	27-36
0:20	+1	Kai Huntsberry makes regular free throw 2 of 2	27-37
0:05		Jordan Walker misses three point jump shot
0:03		Tyree Eady defensive rebound
0:00		Matthew Stone misses three point jump shot
0:01		Mean Green offensive rebound
0:00		End of period

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North Texas secures 1st NIT championship in C-USA showdown

1st Half
UAB
Blazers
27
NTEX
Mean Green
37

TV Provider

North Texas secures 1st NIT championship in C-USA showdown

1st Half UABBlazers27NTEXMean Green37

1st Half
UAB
Blazers
27
NTEX
Mean Green
37