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Utah Valley's Aziz Bandaogo (55) dunks against UAB during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the NIT, Tuesday, March 28, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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Utah Valley's Justin Harmon (0) steals the ball from UAB's Ty Brewer (15) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the NIT, Tuesday, March 28, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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Utah Valley's Trey Woodbury (4) grabs a rebound over UAB's Tony Toney (12) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the NIT, Tuesday, March 28, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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LAS VEGAS — It’s going to be an all-green NIT final.

It just won’t be the kind of green Utah Valley fans had in mind.

The Wolverines and UAB went to overtime on Tuesday in the NIT semifinals at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, where the Blazers held on for an 88-86 victory. That makes it an all-Conference USA final on Thursday with UAB taking on the Mean Green of North Texas.

Utah Valley trailed for the first 31-plus minutes of the game but finally took the lead with 8:13 to play when Tim Fuller’s jump hook gave them a 62-61 lead. UAB got the advantage back and held it until the 2:55 mark, when Fuller scored back-to-back baskets to tie it up at 70. A driving layup by Trey Woodbury tied the score at 74 with 33.9 seconds remaining. The Blazers played for the last shot and got three of them, but none would fall, and the game went to overtime.

In the extra session, UAB grabbed an 81-76 lead with 4:11 to play but Fuller tied it up with a free throw at 83-all with 1:01 to go. Brewer made a difficult shot with Woodbury in his face to give the Blazers an 85-83 advantage with 48 seconds remaining.

Le’Tre Darthard connected on a 3-pointer to get UVU to within one point, 87-86, with 3.2 seconds to play but Jordan Walker made a pair of free throws for UAB with .5 seconds to go to close out the scoring.

Brewer led UAB (30-8) with 30 points and Walker added 17. Woodbury and Justin Harmon had 16 points each for UVU (28-9), with Woodbury scored 14 in the second half and adding 12 rebounds and six assists. Fuller had 14 and Aziz Bangaogo totaled 14 points and 16 rebounds.

The Wolverines started slowly, missing their first five shots and turning the ball over four times in the first four minutes. UAB led 8-0 at the 17:05 mark before Harmon connected on an alley-oop to Bandaogo for a dunk and UVU’s first basket. Brewer started hot for the Blazers and scored 11 points in the first ten minutes of the half, which allowed UAB to claim a 22-12 lead. Wolverine guard Trey Woodbury had a slow start but Fuller and Ethan Potter (off the bench) picked up the scoring load with some timely baskets. Potter had a 3-pointer in a 9-1 run, with a steal and layup from Darthard pulling UVU within two points, 29-27, with 4:40 to play in the half.

UAB pushed the lead back out to seven points at 39-32 but the Wolverines managed to get back to within two, 39-37, as the clock wound down. Walker’s pull-up jumper found the mark to beat the buzzer and the Blazers took a 41-37 lead into the break.

Brewer made his first six shots before missing and led UAB with 14 points in the first half. Fuller, Bandaogo and Potter all had seven for UVU. Woodbury didn’t score until a steal and a basket at the 1:04 mark and finished the half with just two points on 1 of 3 from the field.

Bandaogo connected on a 3-pointer to get UVU within three at 45-42 early in the second half, but the Wolverines had trouble getting stops as Brewer continued to make shots. The Blazers stretched their lead out to eight at 53-45 when Brewer connected on a triple with 14:58 remaining.

Woodbury started heating up and scored eight points as UVU closed the gap. A driving layup by Harmon trimmed the UAB lead to just one, 59-58, with 11:10 to go.

UAB plays North Texas Thursday night in the NIT Finals at Orleans Arena. The Mean Green rallied from a 14-point deficit to upset Big Ten power Wisconsin 56-54, holding the Badgers to just 13 points in the second half in the first semifinal.

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