Auburn blows 21-point lead, wins NIT championship in overtime over Tulsa
The Tigers led by as many as 21 points before a lengthy second-half run allowed Tulsa to take the lead, and win it in overtime.
INDIANAPOLIS — Auburn men’s basketball spent the past month on a five-game rampage through the NIT, expelling its frustrations after being excluded from the NCAA Tournament field. First-year coach Steven Pearl credited his players' continued fight since Selection Sunday, and they demonstrated that tenacity once more in Sunday's NIT championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The top-seeded Tigers watched helplessly as their 21-point lead over Tulsa evaporated in the second half.
They could have easily folded, but instead stood in with their opponent, staying within a possession or two until the final minute of regulation. Elyjah Freeman sank a free throw to make it a 3-point game with eight seconds left, a five-second violation got the ball back for Auburn and Kevin Overton sent the game to overtime with a 3-pointer with eight seconds remaining. The Tigers (22-16) controlled the extra period and completed their postseason run with a 92-86 win over the Golden Hurricane.
It's Auburn's first NIT championship in program history. Overton finished with a game-high 26 points. Teammate Tahaad Pettiford added 24.
David Green and Tylen Riley paced Tulsa (30-8) with 25 and 20 points, respectively. Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen . This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Tulsa vs Auburn score, NIT championship, Tahaad Pettiford game stats