The Nixa Eagles and Troy Trojans went down to final play, and seconds, of the game to determine the 2023 Nixa Invitational Tournament champions.

Nixa was making its fourth-straight championship game appearance, while Troy, in its first BNIT appearance, reached the finals.

Coming off a 46-point performance and in less than 24 hours before having to return the court again, it was Kael Combs' 26 points and his late-game heroics that sent the Eagles atop the 96th Annual Nixa Invitational Tournament field for the first time since 2018.

The Eagles overcame an 18-point third-quarter deficit, capped off by a Combs' tournament-winning buzzer-beater that erupted Eagle Fieldhouse in jubilation, and defeated the Trojans 66-64 in arguably one of the best titles games in BNIT history.

Nixa struggled to find the netting early in the game, but kept its composure. Troy took advantage of the missed opportunities. The Trojans jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead and extended its lead to double digits after Charlie Nett drained a 3-pointer with 3:24 left in the first, forcing an Eagles' timeout and trailing 17-5.

Troy upped its lead to 20-5 late in the second and led 20-11 after one period. Jackson Cantwell brought the game back within single digits after he grabbed an Eagles' missed shot and immediately converted the putback, while being fouled, at the buzzer. Cantwell drained the and-one attempt and the Eagles had a little momentum shifting its way.

It was a 9-point game favoring Troy for the opening minutes of the second, until Garrett Hines swished a corner deep ball, and made the game 22-16 with just under five minutes left, but midway through the period, the Trojans brought the game back over double digits at 28-16, due to two Keegan Linebaugh baskets and a freebie from the charity stripe.

Both teams scored a few buckets proceeding and Troy went into the intermission leading 32-20.

Out of the break, Nixa immediately adjusted to its full-court high-pressure trap defense, but Troy had no problems breaking it early on, and Linebaugh brought the Trojans' lead back to 15 with a fast break layup. Troy forced an Eagles' turnover on their ensuing possession and converted it into three points after Nett made the transition layup and and-one attempt, upping the Trojans lead to its' largest of the game at 18 (43-25) with 5:53 remaining.

The Eagles were held scoreless on its next possession and trapped Troy, forcing the Trojans to call a timeout. That was what Nixa needed, and the Eagles intensified its defense, started forcing turnovers, and a sense in the gym could feel the game was going to shift and a comeback was brewing.

Following the timeout, Noah Engelman jumped the passing and forced a turnover, sparking a 9-0 Nixa run as Troy couldn't get their shots to fall. Combs brought the game back within single digits with a pair of free throws, trimming the Trojans' lead to 43-34 and 2:10 left on the clock.

The Eagles trapped the Trojans with 1:47 left on a inbounds play and forced another turnover. Combs found a wide-open Josh Peters in the corner, and Peters swished home the 3-pointer, exploded the Eagle faithful, and brought the Nixa deficit to just six, 43-37.

Engelman, again, jumped the passing lane, forced a Trojan turnover, and Combs immediately took off in fast break. Combs drew three Trojan defenders in the paint that left a wide-open Carsten Seitz in the corner, dished it off to Seitz, and he drained the deep ball, and the Eagles were within just three with 1:20 left.

The Trojans were able to sink three freebies following, but Nixa kept fighting, and Combs and Peters struck again. Just as time was about to expire in the third, Combs drove to the lane and found Peters alone in the corner and he swished in the 3-pointer, and the Eagles only trailed 46-45 heading into the final quarter.

Combs tied the game at 46-46 with a freebie ten seconds into the fourth. Both teams exchanged threes on their ensuing possession and the game was still even at 49-49.

With Troy leading 51-50 and 5:30 left, Devon Kemp drove the lane and dished the ball off to a wide-opener Peters, who again, drilled the 3-pointer, gave Nixa a 2-point advantage, and Nixa called timeout.

Midway through the quarter, Tyler Moore tied the game at 53-53 with a basket down low, but Kemp answered back with a corner three, and advantage was back to Nixa.

Troy kept Nixa off the scoreboard and tied the game with over three minutes left, but Peters threw down a monster dunk gave Nixa the 60-58 lead.

Nixa led by three with 2:21 remaining and Moore brought the Trojans' deficit to one after sinking a pair of shots from the free-throw line. Then, the Trojans defense held Nixa off the score sheet, melted nearly 30 seconds off the clock, and took the 61-60 lead with two freebies from Nett.

The final minute provided the most excitement and energy of the game. With 51 seconds left, Jack Fessenden extended the Trojan lead to three after driving and finishing at the basket infront of a contested Combs. Combs cut Nixa's deficit to two with a free throw and 37.7 seconds on the clock.

The Eagles forced an overthrown pass from the Trojans that went out of bounds on their next possession and called timeout with 27.8 left. Nixa placed the ball in its superstar's Combs hands. He got his isolation, drove to the basket, pro hopped a Trojan defender, and tied the game with a basket inside, forcing a Troy timeout out with 15 seconds left.

Eli Richards was fouled in a lay-up attempt and 5.4 seconds remaining. Richards sank one-of-two and gave the Trojans a 64-63 lead. He missed the first and made the second, and immediately Corey Kemp grabbed the ball and inbounded to Combs, who had the play of the tournament and arguably career.

In five seconds, Combs went coast-to-coast with a defender guarding the entire way, pulled up mid range on the wing, drew contact and a foul, adjusted his shot mid air to avoid the defender's hands, and made the unthinkable shot, erupting the city of Nixa in victory celebrating with 0.3 remaining.

Combs sank the free-throw and cemented the 66-64 victory and the Eagles' first NIT title since 2018, and 27th overall. He capped of his dominating tournament performance with 26 points, finishing as the tournament-leading scorer with 94 overall (31.3 PPG). His performance marks Combs third all-time in NIT history in both points scored and average.

Nixa's (18-0) undefeated season remains intact and after adding three NIT wins to its resume, the Eagles advance its tournament total to an NIT leading 166.

Troy was led by Fessenden (16), Linebaugh (16), and Moore (11) all in double figures. Fessenden finished as the BNIT fifth-leading scorer averaging 17.7 PPG. 
 

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Box Score:
Nixa 11 | 9 | 25 | 21 | 64
Troy 20 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 64

Leading Scorers:
Nixa, Kael Combs (Sr.), 46
Nixa, Josh Peters (Jr.), 19
Troy, Jack Fessenden (Sr.), 16
Troy, Keegan Linebaugh (Sr.), 16
Troy, Tyler Moore (Sr.), 11