This is an opinion column.

Give plenty of credit to North Texas, and save plenty more for UAB. That’s how you compete in a championship game. That’s how you walk off the floor for the final time in any season – with nothing left to give.

North Texas found just a little bit more to beat UAB for the third time in four meetings this season. So the Mean Green won the NIT championship 68-61. Tylor Perry earned the MVP trophy, unlike his Conference USA player of the year award, which should’ve gone to UAB’s Jelly Walker.

North Texas deserved to celebrate Thursday night, but make no mistake about what did and did not happen in Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. North Texas coach Grant McCasland said it best amidst the on-court celebration. He called it the biggest game in North Texas history.

There is no doubt about that, and there is no doubt about this. Had UAB won the game and the title, had the Blazers not missed so many free throws and the officials not missed two obvious shot-clock violations on the Mean Green, which led to five undeserved points that changed a tight game down the stretch, Andy Kennedy could not and would not have said the same.

Although they have much in common of late, North Texas and UAB are not the same.