The final stretch of the tournament is here! With the NCAA Men’s and Women’s tournaments wrapping up this weekend, the thrilling 2025 college basketball season is coming to an end. Outside of the NCAA tournaments, the men’s NIT has delivered plenty of action.
Indianapolis hosted the NIT semifinals at none other than the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. The first matchup featured No. 1 seed UC Irvine taking on No. 2 seed North Texas. In the first half, the top-seeded Anteaters struggled, trailing by 15 against a dominant North Texas squad. At that moment, fans feared the game was out of reach, but senior forward Devin Tillis ignited a second-half rally, leading UC Irvine to a comeback victory. The win not only secured the Anteaters’ first-ever NIT final appearance but also set a new program record for single-season wins. After years of falling just short of an NCAA Tournament bid, UC Irvine now aims to cap off its historic season with an NIT championship.
Following UC Irvine’s triumph, Loyola Chicago squared off against Chattanooga. Known for their 2018 Final Four run and the ever-iconic Sister Jean, the Ramblers held a 38-34 halftime lead, seemingly in control. However, Chattanooga stormed back in the second half, at one point leading by 10. Loyola made a late push, cutting the deficit to one with two and a half minutes remaining, but the Mocs closed the game on a crucial 6-0 run to seal the victory.
Now, the stage is set—the Chattanooga Mocs will take on the UC Irvine Anteaters for the NIT crown on Thursday at 9:00 PM ET, airing live on ESPN and ESPN+.
In Courtesy of ESPN, Los Angeles Times, and AI.
