Overview
- Chattanooga defeated UC Irvine 85-84 in overtime to win the 2025 NIT championship, becoming the first Southern Conference team to achieve this milestone.
- Garrison Keeslar's go-ahead jumper with 11 seconds left in overtime sealed the victory for the Mocs, capping a dramatic finish.
- UC Irvine's Bent Leuchten missed two critical free throws with 31 seconds remaining, and Jurian Dixon missed a potential game-winning layup at the buzzer.
- Chattanooga's Trey Bonham and Collin Mulholland each scored 19 points, with Bonham adding 10 rebounds for a double-double performance.
- UC Irvine's Devin Tillis led his team with 19 points, including 13 in the first half, while Bent Leuchten contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds.