The No. 1-seeded Auburn Tigers have clinched a berth in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), as they defeated the Seattle U Redhawks 91-85 on Sunday night at Neville Arena.
The win matches the furthest Auburn has advanced in the NIT in program history, as the Tigers have never made it past the third round.
“I want to thank our fans that came out tonight,” head coach Steven Pearl said after the game. “You know, good crowd, considering the circumstances on Sunday and the NIT, so appreciate everyone that came out and supported the group tonight. Our guys obviously felt their presence, and it has been phenomenal for us all year.”
Auburn led by 16 points with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation, and it managed to hold on down the stretch, even despite a late surge from the Redhawks.
Seattle U drew within four with just a few seconds left, courtesy of three 3-pointers within the final 3:15, but there wasn’t enough time for the visitors to overcome the deficit.
The closing minutes served as an accurate portrayal of much of the game, as Seattle U drained a whopping 12 deep balls in the second half. The Redhawks finished 16-for-31 from behind the arc, which smashed a season-high in made 3-pointers, highlighting the Tigers’ lackluster perimeter defense that has haunted them for the majority of the season.
While Seattle U posted a more impressive performance from deep, Auburn dominated on the interior in multiple statistical categories.
The Tigers posted 38 points in the paint, a large edge compared to the Redhawks’ 24, and Auburn out-rebounded Seattle U by 18. Auburn limited the Redhawks to just one offensive rebound and no second-chance points.
One of the most popular storylines entering the night was Seattle U’s elite defense, which ranks 23rd nationally in scoring defense (66.6 points), 42nd in field goal percentage defense (41.5%) and 12th in turnovers forced (14.94).
However, Auburn’s offense rolled, scoring 91 points on 50.0% shooting and committing only 10 turnovers. Four Tigers – Kevin Overton, Elyjah Freeman, Filip Jovic, and Sebastian Williams-Adams – finished in double-figures, as Overton led the way with 23 points with four triples.
Overton may have led the Tigers in scoring, but Freeman will likely be viewed as Auburn’s Most Valuable Player. Freeman played all 40 minutes, and he made the most of it, recording 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting, seven rebounds, two blocks and one steal.
Elyjah Freeman dunks against Seattle on March. 22, 2026.
He finished plus-six in the plus-minus metric and knocked down four 3-pointers on the night.
Williams-Adams also played a massive role for the Tigers in the absence of KeShawn Murphy, notching 15 points on 6-for-6 from the field and three assists. He certainly could've finished with a better stat line, but the true freshman fouled out with six minutes remaining in the second half after committing three fouls in 30 seconds.
“I’m disappointed in my staff that when he had four fouls, no one took him out of the game,” Pearl said. “We needed him in that game late. And you saw once he went out those last couple minutes, our defense is, you know, completely folded. So that was a miss on our part as a staff. We got to do a better job there, because he played great.”
Sebastian Williams-Adams rises up towards the hoop against Seattle on March. 22, 2026.
Keyshawn Hall and Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn’s top two leading scorers, combined for just 18 points. However, the Tigers were able to share the basketball and get the rock to playmakers, even when their most productive scorers were held at bay.
Although Hall was struggling on the offensive end, the senior still contributed heavily in other aspects of the contest, tallying 15 total rebounds and five assists.
Guard Brayden Maldonado headlined the Redhawks with 25 points, knocking down seven of Seattle U’s 16 triples, and three other players finished in double-figures.
Auburn is set to take on Nevada inside Neville Arena on Wednesday with a trip to the NIT semifinals in Indianapolis on the line. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CDT.
“We have one more home game against a really good Nevada ball club,” Pearl said. “And we're going to need as many people in the building as we can, so appreciate all of our fans and them sticking with us all year.”
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Gunner is a sophomore majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in the fall 2024.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @norene_gunner10
