Auburn’s resilient run ends with confetti in Indianapolis

After finishing the regular season 2-8 down the stretch and missing the NCAA Tournament, the big debate on the Plains three weeks ago was whether it would be worth it for Auburn to compete in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

That conversation was put to bed Sunday night, as Steven Pearl’s group captured the program’s first NIT title, taking down Tulsa 92-86 behind a resilient performance.

“Lesser-character kids, lesser-character young men would have folded it up and just gotten to the offseason. This group didn't,” Pearl said. “They used this as an opportunity to compete. They used this as an opportunity to gain some positive momentum going into an offseason, an important offseason for all of us.”

Back in January, the Tigers built a four-game win streak, taking down South Carolina, Ole Miss, Florida and Texas, entering a weekend matchup against Tennessee with a 14-7 record. Everything was looking promising for the orange and blue, and then disaster struck.

Auburn dropped seven of its next eight games and found itself firmly on the tournament bubble.

Many teams around the country declined bids to the NIT, and Auburn could have made a similar decision. However, it didn’t quit, finishing the season on a five-game winning streak in the oldest major postseason college basketball tournament.

That was on full display Sunday night, as the Tigers started the game red-hot, jumping out to a 34-13 lead at the 7:46 mark of the first half. Guard Tahaad Pettiford led the way during the early surge, scoring 13 points. The sophomore finished with 24 points on 36.3% shooting from the field.

Similar to its season, it appeared Auburn was going to crumble once again. Tulsa guard Ade Popoola headed to the line amidst a game that appeared to be a blowout. However, his free throw sparked a 26-4 extended run for the Golden Hurricane, sending Gainbridge Fieldhouse into a frenzy. 

But just like its decision to play in the NIT, Pearl’s group didn’t waver. Guard Kevin Overton hit the shot of the season with eight seconds left, knocking down a 3-pointer to force overtime in the Hoosier State. The junior finished with 26 points on 53.8% shooting from the field and 62.5% from 3-point range, earning 2026 NIT Most Outstanding Player honors.

In overtime, forward Sebastian Williams-Adams, Pettiford and Overton all recorded four points en route to the confetti falling.

“This game was kind of a microcosm of our season,” Pearl said. “You know, played really well. Let them back into it, went through a tough stretch, and we stayed resilient, we didn't give up, pushed that thing to overtime and played overtime with five guards.”

Overshadowed by Tulsa’s second-half resurgence was Auburn’s stifling first-half defense.

The Golden Hurricane entered championship Sunday as one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the nation, ranking 14th in made 3-pointers per game (10.7) and fifth in efficiency (38.9%). In his news conference Friday, Pearl acknowledged that Tulsa loves to shoot from beyond the arc and that his team was preparing for it.

The film study paid off, as the American Athletic Conference foe was held to 1-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes.

During this five-game winning streak, forward Filip Jović and Williams-Adams have stepped up down low in the absence of KeShawn Murphy. The freshmen duo combined for 25 points in Sunday night’s victory.

“These two guys have been going at it. They’re like best friends off the court,” Elyjah Freeman said. “With them two being able to step up, especially down the line, rebounding, being able to just get guys open and doing little things, it’s been awesome.”

The 2025-26 season featured plenty of ups and downs, but ultimately this team will be remembered for never waving the white flag. They had the chance to quit but stayed together and capped the year by cutting down the nets in Indianapolis.

“I want the Auburn family to remember this group for their resilience, toughness and ability to stay together through some difficult stretches,” Pearl said. “It's a group that really appreciated the support the Auburn family gave them. I think they just wanted to make the fan base and the university proud, and I felt like they did that over the last couple of weeks.”