Former Vol wins NIT championship with Auburn

Auburn (22-16) defeated Tulsa (30-8), 92-86, in overtime Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana to win the 2026 NIT championship. The Tigers, under first-year head coach and former Tennessee basketball player Steven Pearl, led, 48-31, at halftime. Kevin Overton totaled 26 points, three assists, two steals and one block.

He converted 7-of-13 field goal attempts, 5-of-8 three-point attempts and 7-of-8 free throw attempts. Overton's three-point field goal in the final seconds tied the game, 78-78, sending the contest to overtime. Auburn led by as many as 21 points in the first half.

Pearl, a 2006 graduate of West High School in Knoxville, Tennessee, played one season for the Rebels, averaging 21. 3 points, 8. 8 rebounds and 2.

6 assists per game during his senior campaign. He was a First-Team All-State player as he helped West finish with a 15-12 record after the Rebels won three games the previous year. Pearl played at Tennessee from 2006-11 and redshirted during his freshman year.