Pancakes and pineapple.

It’s the breakfast for champions for Ty Brewer and the rest of the UAB basketball team may be ordering themselves a serving or two following the former’s career outing on a national stage.

The Blazers got a career-high double-double from Brewer and held off a feisty rally in their 88-86 overtime victory over Utah Valley in the NIT semifinals, Tuesday, March 28, at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

UAB improves to 28-9 overall — winning 16 of its last 18 games and setting the program record for most wins in a single season — and advances to its first NIT title game in school history.

“I was really pleased with the way we started the game, our plan was to be disruptive,” UAB head coach Andy Kennedy said. “Utah Valley is one of the most dynamic offensive teams we’ve played all season. They have multiple guys on the perimeter that can make plays and that was evident throughout the second half.”

“It was just back and forth, back and forth,” he added. “I’m thinking we’re going to salt the thing away and again, just some poor decisions. But our guys made the plays that we needed to make.”

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The Blazers were 40.5 percent from the field, 43.8 percent on 3-pointers (7-of-16) and 17-for-22 at the foul line, and scored 18 points off 11 turnovers. They allowed Utah Valley to shoot 41.9 percent overall and secure the interior with a plus-2 edge on the glass and a plus-6 advantage on inside scoring.

“It’s who we are,” Kennedy said. “We have a number of different guys that can rise to the occasion. Some nights we’re dominant in the paint and try to win the free-throw line. Some nights it’s a defensive struggle, and some nights we have to outscore you. We have an eclectic group.”

Brewer matched his career-high of 30 points on 13-of-17 shooting overall and 4-of-5 from 3-point range, adding five steals, and secured his second double-double of the season by grabbing 12 rebounds.

“My mentality was really do anything and everything I can, and just go hard doing it,” Brewer said. “Whatever happens, happens. That’s my mentality about it.”

Brewer scored six straight points to round out an 8-0 run to open the game and pushed UAB’s lead to 10 points on a 3-pointer and dunk on consecutive possessions midway through the first half. Following a 9-1 run by Utah Valley that cut the lead down to two points, Brewer hit his second 3-pointer of the game to quell the Wolverines

“Typically I’ll go right to him because he’s comfortable in that mid-post because that’s what he did throughout his career,” Kennedy said. “We try to get him going early; and when he makes one, he makes two. I’m not as dumb as I look, we’re going see if he can make three and four and he certainly delivers.”

The second half saw Brewer take a more defensive approach but still able to make timely shots to keep Utah Valley from taking control of the game. Despite being held scoreless the first four minutes of overtime, the former ETSU transfer scored the go-ahead basket with 45 seconds remaining in the game after the Wolverines tied the game at 83-all.

“We were trying to get their big guy away from the basket because we were not having any luck inside finishing over the top of him,” Kennedy said. “We were trying to get him spread in ball-screen coverage and then cut behind him, and it was up to Eric (Gaines) to make the right read. But then on the off-side, Ty’s guy was the helper, and we were trying to find Ty in that mid-range and he delivered.”

Jordan “Jelly” Walker finished with 17 points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals, and changed up his offensive attack for a second-straight game in being held to 1-of-8 from beyond range. He secured the victory with a 3-for-4 showing at the charity stripe in the final 12 seconds of overtime and capped UAB’s opening run with his only 3-pointer — giving the Blazers an 11-2 lead not four minutes into the game. Walker also ended a 5-0 run by the Wolverines with a fade-away jumper at the end of the first half.

“We were really disruptive early and then our offense allowed them to get back in the game,” Kennedy said. “Poor shot selection, some looseness with the ball and they got out in transition and settled in. Took the fight to us and we were able to go in with a slim halftime lead.”

Eric Gaines had 13 points, three boards and two assists, and was crucial in the overtime session as he scored seven of his points to power the Blazers past Utah Valley midway through the final period.

“Eric was tremendous in a couple of decisions in the pull-up game,” Kennedy said.

Javian Davis finished with seven points and three rebounds, followed by Tony Toney with five points and Tavin Lovan with four points. Trey Jemison and KJ Buffen scored six points each and combined for 13 rebounds before the latter fouled out in the waning minutes of the second half.

The Blazers advance to face No. 2 seed and C-USA rival North Texas in the NIT championship, Thursday, March 30, at Orleans Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

“Tonight was a big deal,” Gaines said. “We needed to win. We got it going into the next game against North Texas. Same deal. We got to go in, dogfight and come out with the W.”