Chattanooga claims NIT title with thrilling overtime win over UC Irvine
Collin Mullholland scored 19 points for the Mocs (29-9), while Trey Bonham (19 points, 10 rebounds) and Keeslar (14 points, 10 boards) each finished with a double-double.
Devin Tillis put up 19 points to pace UC Irvine (32-7), while Bent Leuchten chipped in with 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Anteaters' Jurian Dixon contributed 16 points but squandered a golden chance to win the game at the buzzer.
The Anteaters created a bit of separation early in the second half as they went on a 7-0 run to open a 48-40 lead.
The Mocs chipped away down the stretch in regulation, a comeback fueled by Keeslar's two 3-pointers. They eventually went ahead with 16.3 seconds left when Honor Huff was fouled on a 3-pointer and made all three free throws to put his team on top 76-74.
However, UC Irvine's Myles Che was promptly fouled on the other end and made 2 of 3, leaving the score tied. Chattanooga had multiple chances to win it in the waning seconds of regulation, including Mullholland's 3-point attempt that rimmed off at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.
With under 1 1/2 minutes left in OT, Mullholland knocked down a 3-pointer to put Chattanooga up by a point, but Che countered on the other end with the go-ahead jumper with 1:13 to play.
Keeslar then made his decisive basket -- a wide-open look near the foul line -- before both teams squandered key opportunities. First, UC Irvine committed a turnover (while not using any of its four remaining timeouts) and then Huff missed two free throws with 2.7 seconds left, giving the Anteaters one final attempt.
UC Irvine launched the ball down court and Dixon had a point-blank layup attempt for the win, but he missed it as time expired.
The score was close for the bulk of the first half, capped by an exciting sequence in the waning seconds. Tillis gave UC Irvine the lead by hitting a layup with four seconds to play before Bonham drained a shot from beyond half court at the buzzer, sending the Mocs into the locker room with a 38-37 lead.
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(Top photo courtesy of Will McCutcheon / Chattanooga Basketball)
