Donald Trump’s “The Celebrity Apprentice” crowned a winner last night, but the biggest winner was NBC. The seventh-season finale of the reality show matched a season high and boosted the network to a nightly victory.

A two-hour “Apprentice” beginning at 9 p.m. averaged a 4.5 adults 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen overnights, equaling the rating for its January season premiere.

The show averaged a 4.1 in its first hour, finishing behind CBS’s competing NCAA basketball coverage, but surged to a 4.9 at 10 p.m., taking over first place.

The finale also averaged 12.1 million total viewers, the network’s best non-sports audience in the timeslot since November 2006.

It was “Apprentice’s” best finale in both 18-49s and total viewers since season four’s December 2005 ender. Compared with last season’s finale, “Apprentice” jumped 41 percent in 18-49s, from a 3.2.

It certainly helped that ABC did not air an original “Lost” last night. “Apprentice” did very well in the weeks without original ABC programming at 9 p.m., but its ratings slipped in weeks when “Grey’s Anatomy” or “Lost” originals aired.

“Apprentice” ended the season 24 percent ahead of last, with a 3.6 average to a 2.9. Former British tab editor Piers Morgan won the title over country singer Trace Adkins.

NBC was first among viewers 18-49, averaging a 4.0 rating and an 11 share. CBS was second at 3.8/10, Fox third at 2.8/8, ABC fourth at 1.9/5, Univision fifth at 1.8/5 and CW sixth at 1.4/4.
 
At 8 p.m. CBS was first with a 3.3 rating for coverage of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, followed by NBC with a 3.0 for “Deal or No Deal.” Fox was third that hour with a 2.4 for “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?,” Univision fourth with a 2.1 for “Al Diablo con los Guapos,” ABC fifth with a 2.0 for an hour of “Miss Guided” and CW sixth with a 1.5 for “Smallville.”
 
CBS led again at 9 p.m. with a 4.4 for its basketball coverage, while NBC remained second with a 4.1 for the first hour of “Apprentice.” Fox was third with a 3.1 for “Don’t Forget the Lyrics,” ABC and Univision tied for fourth at 1.8, ABC for a “Lost” rerun and Univision for “Pasion,” and CW sixth with a 1.2 for “Reaper.”
 
At 10 p.m. NBC took the lead with a 4.9 for its second hour of “Apprentice,” with CBS dropping to second with a 3.6 for basketball. ABC was third with a 1.9 for “Eli Stone” and Univision fourth with a 1.3 for “Amas de Casa Desperadas.”
 
Among households, NBC led the night with a 7.4 average overnight rating and a 12 share. CBS was second at 6.3/10, Fox third at 5.2/8, ABC fourth at 4.0/7, CW fifth at 2.1/3 and Univision sixth at 2.0/3.