Chattanooga becomes first Southern Conference team to win NIT title

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Collin Mulholland scored 19 points and made five 3-pointers, Garrison Keeslar sank a go-ahead jumper from the free throw line with 11 seconds left in overtime and Chattanooga became the first team from the Southern Conference to win the NIT championship after beating UC Irvine 85-84 on Thursday night.

Chattanooga (29-9) tied a program record for victories in a season after winning 17 of its last 18 to capture the program's first postseason title.

UC Irvine 7-foot-1 center Bent Leuchten went to the free-throw line with 31 seconds left in overtime for a chance at a three-point lead, but he missed both free throws. After Keeslar's make, an entry pass to…