Five reasons why Auburn beat Tulsa to win its first NIT Championship
Auburn clawed its way to its first NIT championship on Sunday thanks to the efforts of Kevin Overton and quality three-point defense.
The Auburn Tigers are the 2026 NIT Champions after defeating Tulsa in overtime, 92-86, on Sunday. Auburn held a 21-point first-half lead before allowing Tulsa to make a comeback in the second half. It took a lot of effort from this team to battle back after losing the big lead.
Auburn had five players in double figures scoring. The backcourt combination of Tahaad Pettiford and Kevin Overton combined for 50 of the 92 points scored for Auburn. This is a win that can help the Tigers get momentum for next season with the potential for several players to return in 2026-27.
Here are five key stats from Auburn's 92-86 overtime win versus Tulsa for the 2026 NIT Championship. Kevin Overton That is all that needs to be said about this win for the Tigers. Kevin Overton saved the day with the three that sent the game to overtime, but he was great for the Tigers throughout the game.
He led Auburn in scoring with 26 points, and he was five of eight from three-point land in the game. He had a clutch three-pointer in overtime that put the Tigers up 89-84 that pushed them to victory. Keyshawn Hall foul trouble Keyshawn Hall did not have much of an impact in scoring for the Tigers due to foul trouble.