20260317 Mbb Vs Usa Zb 0091 — Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford (0) against South Alabama in the NIT. (Zach Bland / Auburn Tigers)

Auburn’s disappointment from not making the NCAA Tournament could not linger very long as the Tigers were tasked with starting their NIT run Tuesday night.

And maybe for that reason, it was a slow start for the Tigers at Neville Arena but a big second half helped Auburn take down South Alabama to move to the second round.

Auburn made a season-high 16 3-pointers including seven from Kevin Overton, all in the second half. It was the 18th win of the season for the Tigers, giving Steven Pearl the program record for most wins by a first-year coach + securing a fifth straight winning season for the program.

NIT Bracket

Auburn is now one of the final 16 teams competing for the NIT championship. The Tigers furthest run in the tournament was to the quarterfinals in 2009.

Next up: Seattle. Here’s what you need to know before tip off.

Who: Seattle Redhawks at Auburn Tigers
When: Saturday, March 21 or Sunday, March 22 | TBA
Where: Neville Arena | Auburn, AL
Watch: TBA
Tickets

The two teams have never faced each other on the court.

Seattle, out of the West Coast Conference, currently holds a 20-13 record which included wins over Power 4 conference teams Stanford and Washington.

The Redhawks have not faced an SEC opponent since 2019, a 13-point loss at Ole Miss.

Both teams need two more wins to reach the NIT semifinals which are played at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indiana. You can find an updated bracket on the tournament’s website.