Auburn defeats South Alabama in NIT tournament

March 17, 2026 - AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn surged past South Alabama 78–67 in the NIT opener, riding a blistering second‑half shooting display to advance. The Tigers will now host Seattle in the second round, setting up another home matchup inside Neville Arena.

Auburn Defeats South Alabama in NIT First Round

Auburn overcame a sluggish first half to defeat South Alabama 78–67, flipping the game with a dominant offensive surge after halftime. The Tigers trailed 36–30 at the break but erupted for 48 second‑half points behind hot shooting from Kevin Overton and Kaden Magwood.

Key Game Highlights

• Kevin Overton: 21 second‑half points, all from three‑point range.

• Kaden Magwood: Sparked the comeback with 11 straight points, finishing with 14.

• Rebounding Edge: Auburn outrebounded USA 42–31, helping control the second half.

• Halftime Deficit: Auburn shot just 25% in the first half before flipping the script.

Quotes from Coach Steven Pearl

Coach Steven Pearl praised his team's resilience and second‑half execution:

• On the turnaround:

"We did a better job in the second half of knocking down shots. The last 25 minutes, our guys did a good job of locking in and found a way to win the game."

• On Kaden Magwood's impact:

"Kaden played great off the bench in the second half, had a lot of step‑up... I wanted to give him an opportunity, and he did a great job of taking advantage of it."

• On embracing the NIT opportunity:

"I'm here to coach basketball... I'm not going to duck away from an opportunity to go out there and prepare and compete... Let's just go play. Let's go hoop and have some fun with it."

Who Auburn Plays Next

Auburn will host Seattle in the second round of the NIT after the Redhawks defeated St. Thomas (Minn.) 67–52. The matchup keeps Auburn at home in Neville Arena, where their second‑half energy has been a difference‑maker.

Auburn's next NIT game is scheduled for Sunday, March 22, 2026, tipping off at 5:30 p.m. CT in Auburn.