After a rough first half in which it shot 25% from the field, Auburn recovered to earn a win in its opening National Invitation Tournament (NIT) matchup, defeating South Alabama 78-67.
The win came after news broke just hours before tipoff that Auburn big man KeShawn Murphy had opted out of the tournament, leaving a Tigers lineup that was already undersized with even more potential mismatches in the post.
“Murph decided not to play in these games. I’m not sure why. We love Murph,” Auburn head coach Steven Pearl said. “I have a lot of love for what he’s done for us and his commitment to the program. Wish him well.”
With the disappointment of missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five seasons still weighing heavily on the team, the Tigers started the game looking extremely flat, falling behind by 11 points to the Jaguars at one point. Auburn went into halftime down six, having scored only 30 points on poor shooting numbers.
However, the Tigers came out of the locker room looking much more composed on offense, outscoring the Jaguars 48-31 in the second half.
“We did a better job in the second half of knocking down shots,” Pearl said. “The last 25 minutes, our guys did a good job of locking in and found a way to win the game.”
It was a monstrous second half from junior guard Kevin Overton that fueled the Tigers’ comeback. Overton, who had no points going into halftime, finished the game with 21 points, all coming on 3-pointers. He has been Auburn’s most consistent deep-ball threat this season, shooting about 39% from beyond the arc. His seven made 3-pointers in the second half were the most by any Auburn player in a half this season.
“The shots were falling in the second half,” Overton said. “In the first half I was trying to find that rhythm. When you make those simple ones, the other ones become easier.”
Senior Keyshawn Hall also contributed 21 points for the Tigers despite an off shooting night from the floor. Hall was the Tigers' main source of offense during conference play but has struggled shooting as of late. He will be hoping to boost his NBA draft stock one last time as Auburn continues its tournament run.
A bright spot off the bench for the Tigers came in the form of true freshman guard Kaden Magwood. Magwood, who did not see much playing time during the conference schedule, made the most of Auburn being down a starter, scoring 14 points on 4-for-8 shooting and draining a trio of 3-pointers.
“Kaden played great off the bench in the second half, had a lot of step-up,” Pearl said. “Against that zone, you need guys who can knock down shots. Kaden’s been really good in practice, he’s stayed right and stayed ready. He’s been the best player on our scout team. I wanted to give him an opportunity, and he did a great job of taking advantage of it.”
With Murphy out of the tournament, Magwood could be a strong candidate to step up in his place. In tournament play, having a high-volume scoring threat off the bench can make all the difference.
Auburn is a heavy favorite to come out of the NIT victorious, but there are still some formidable opponents ahead. The Tigers will need to improve their shooting efficiency after shooting just 39% from the floor as a team.
If Auburn can continue to play as it did in the second half of tonight’s matchup, going the distance in the tournament appears much more likely. For this to happen, however, Auburn will need better shooting performances from star players like Hall and guard Tahaad Pettiford.
Auburn will face Seattle University later this week after the Redhawks defeated St. Thomas 67-52 on Tuesday night.
The date and time for Auburn’s second-round matchup with the Redhawks has not been announced, but it will be either March 21 or 22 at Neville Arena.
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Jonathan is a freshman majoring in industrial and systems engineering. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
