Auburn men’s basketball suffered a pivotal 91-79 loss to Oklahoma on Tuesday night, putting its NCAA Tournament hopes in jeopardy.
“We didn’t represent Auburn well tonight and that’s on me as their coach,“ Auburn head coach Steven Pearl said. “I’ve got to do a better job. We had no urgency, and that’s unacceptable.”
Kevin Overton had a terrific night, recording 26 points and setting a career high with nine made field goals, but the Tigers’ 14 turnovers proved costly.
The Sooners were unstoppable on the offensive end of the floor, shooting 52.6% from the field and 68.4% from behind the arc as a team.
“I’m at a loss for answers as to why we just continue to allow that to happen,” Pearl said. “We have to stop with the mental errors with the things we keep talking about.”
Nijel Pack led Oklahoma with 22 points on 61.5% shooting from the field. The senior shot 75% from beyond the arc, knocking down six 3-pointers.
After taking an early 5-4 lead with 18:41 remaining in the first half, Auburn never regained the lead.
Keyshawn Hall matched Overton with 26 points; however, his team-high six turnovers are what will be remembered from this one. The senior finished minus-6 in 32 minutes.
Oklahoma’s largest lead of the game came with 6:27 remaining in the second half when Mohamed Mague’s second free throw made it a 79-61 game.
This loss stings for Pearl’s group, as the Sooners entered Tuesday night with a 3-11 record, tied for second-to-last in the conference.
Tahaad Pettiford had a quiet night, recording four points. The Jersey City, New Jersey, native made just one field goal.
The Tigers will return home to Neville Arena on Saturday night to take on Ole Miss in what is now almost a must-win game. With three regular-season games left, Auburn can’t afford to drop one. Tip-off against the Rebels is set for 7:30 p.m. CST.
“Saturday is a must win,” Pearl said. “We have to play desperate. We have to play hungry. We have to do everything opposite of what we did tonight. We were entitled tonight. We were selfish tonight on the defensive end. We had no urgency. That’s unacceptable.”
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Rory is a sophomore majoring in journalism sports production. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @RorymGarvin
