Auburn pulls off miracle late rally, turns back Tulsa in overtime thriller to win NIT championship
Published:
Auburn believed it was an NCAA Tournament team exactly 3 weeks ago when the selection committee said no and banished the Tigers to the NIT on Selection Sunday.
And just when it looked like Auburn had gathered itself, refocused and was about to hang a banner on the Plains with an NIT championship, it suffered an epic second-half meltdown on Sunday night against Tulsa that threatened to throw away that dream, too.
But everything changed at the end of regulation for the Tigers in Indianapolis, when after Elyjah Freeman made the second of 2 free throw attempts to cut Auburn’s deficit to 3, Tulsa committed the cardinal sin in the closing seconds. With the Golden Hurricane’s win probability still a robust 95.3% after Freeman’s free throw, according to the ESPN play-by-play, Tulsa failed to even inbound the ball, being called for a 5-second violation.
There were still 8 seconds left and naturally Auburn made Tulsa pay the ultimate price, with Kevin Overton drilling a 3-point dagger to tie the game at 78. When the Golden Hurricane missed a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer, overtime was needed, the whole vibe changed and the Tigers were suddenly in charge of the momentum meter.
That vibe carried into overtime, as Auburn dominated those final 5 minutes, helped by yet another Overton 3-point dagger, to dance off with a 92-86 victory and an NIT championship trophy to cherish forever. The Tigers didn’t get their shot in the NCAA Tournament with their mediocre 17-16 overall record on Selection Sunday, but their second opportunity in the NIT brought another chance at glory, which they seized in stunning fashion.
Auburn blew a 17-point halftime lead and looked dead in the water in the dying seconds of regulation, but Overton was there to rescue the Tigers and send it to overtime with this stunning 3-pointer from the right corner off an inbound pass from Tahaad Pettiford. Overton didn’t hesitate, drilling the shot that changed everything on Sunday night.
The Tigers only trailed at the very beginning of overtime after Tulsa (30-8) scored the first 2 points of the extra session. It was all Auburn after that, with Sebastian Williams-Adams’ 2 free throws giving the Tigers the lead for good at 84-82. After another Golden Hurricane turnover, Pettiford’s layup made it a 4-point lead, and then came Overton’s 3-pointer shortly thereafter with 2:06 left in OT that gave Auburn some breathing room with a 5-point cushion.
Auburn’s lead never got below 3 points, as it just wouldn’t be denied in turning that 17-16 record into a 22-16 season-ending mark that came complete with a trophy at the finish line. It wasn’t an NCAA Tournament trophy, like the one the Tigers got close to last year in getting to the Final Four. But it was a trophy nonetheless for Steven Pearl in his first year as head coach after replacing his legendary coaching dad, Bruce Pearl, who was sitting courtside on Sunday night rooting on Auburn with Tigers basketball legend Charles Barkley.
Of course, Overton led the Tigers in scoring on this magical night with 26 points in 42 brilliant minutes, while Pettiford finished with 24 points and 8 assists in 43 minutes.
Williams-Adams chipped in 13 points off the bench for Auburn, which showed the ultimate recovery power late in regulation after that second-half meltdown looked like it was going to be it for these Tigers. Tulsa got 25 points from David Green, but it shot just 6 of 26 from 3-point range, which helped do the Golden Hurricane in by game’s end.
It was ultimately Auburn’s night, and it was Auburn’s NIT.
While Auburn and Tulsa battled it out for the NIT title, UConn and Michigan will square off on Monday night in Indianapolis for the national championship. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the odds for the final 2 teams standing for the biggest trophy of all:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
