Auburn survives Tulsa comeback to claim first ever NIT title

If you’re still playing college basketball in April, you’re probably doing something right.

And even though the Auburn Tigers did not make the NCAA Tournament in Steven Pearl’s first season, they still got to hoist a trophy at the end of the season.

Auburn led by as many as 21 points in the first half but still needed some late-game heroics from Kevin Overton. The junior guard led the Tigers with 26 points but none were bigger than a 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime.

And the Tigers took advantage of their second chance, beating Tulsa 92-86 to claim the program’s first ever NIT championship.

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Auburn wins NIT

The Tigers were dominant during their NIT run, trailing for a total of just eight minutes through the first four games.

It was looking like more of the same in the title game as Auburn jumped out to a 21-point lead with just over seven minutes to go in the first half. That advantage was still at 20 early in the second half but Tulsa used a 26-4 run to take the lead for the first time with just over 10 minutes to go.

Tulsa’s lead grew to 5 points with just over a minute to go but a 3-pointer from Tahaad Pettiford and a five-second violation on the Golden Hurricanes helped set the stage for Overton’s big moment.

Auburn trailed for just eight seconds in overtime with Overton once again delivering the biggest moment—knocking down a deep 3-pointer to give the Tigers a five-point lead with two minutes to go.

Overton’s take over came after starters Keyshawn Hall and Filip Jovic fouled out late in the second half. Overton’s final line included:

• 26 points
• 7/13 shooting
• 5/8 on 3-pointers
• 3 assists
• 2 steals

Pettiford finished with 24 points to go with 8 assists. Hall had 11 points and 12 rebounds in his final collegiate game.

Steven Pearl’s first season

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Auburn wraps up the season with a 22-16 record. The Tigers did not reach that win total under Bruce Pearl until his fourth season.

The 22 wins are also a new program record for a first-year coach.

The Tigers are the first Power 4 conference team to win the NIT since Texas won in 2019. They’re the first SEC program to claim the title since South Carolina won back-to-back tournaments in 2005-06.