Auburn defeats Seattle U 91-85 to advance to NIT quarterfinals
The Auburn Tigers will continue playing basketball after a 91-85 win against the Seattle U Redhawks in the second round of the 2026 NIT. Auburn led for most of the game and were led scoring by Kevin Overton who continued his great shooting for the South Alabama win in the first round. Overton had 23 points on 7 of 10 shooting from the floor. Auburn also received a big second half from forward Elyjah Freeman with 13 of his 16 points after halftime.
Despite leading throughout most of the game, the Redhawks made things interesting at the end by getting within four points in the final seconds. Seattle U was led by Brayden Maldonado with 25 points, and he connected on seven three-point shots.
Auburn won the rebounding battle 41-23 and points in the paint 38-24. The Tigers were the more physical team and shot 32 free throws, making 24 of them. The Tigers received a good performance off the bench by Sebastian Williams-Adams with 15 points and he made all six of his shots taken.
Auburn will now play Nevada in the quarterfinals on a date and time to be announced.
Final stats (Auburn 91, Seattle U 85)
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G Kevin Overton (23 points, 4-9 3PT)
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F Elyjah Freeman (19 points, 7 rebounds)
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F Sebastian Williams-Adams (15 points, 6-6 FG, 3 assists)
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F Filip Jovic (12 points, 5 rebounds,)
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F Keyshawn Hall (9 points, 15 rebounds)
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G Tahaad Pettiford (9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists)
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G Kaden Magwood (4 points, 2 assists)
Auburn closing in on NIT quarterfinals (Auburn 80, Seattle U 69 - 3:14 2nd half)
A three-pointer by Freeman and a layup by Overton gets the Tigers to 80 points in the game. Will Heimbrodt did connect on a three before the media timeout to make it an 11-point game.
Elyjah Freeman big second half start (Auburn 73, Seattle U 58 - 7:37 2nd half)
Freeman has had a big second half for the Tigers scoring 13 points to help put the lead at 15 points.
Auburn extends halftime lead (Auburn 53, Seattle U 40 - 15:16 2nd half)
Auburn opened the second half with a three-pointer by Freeman to extend the lead to 45-31. Overton would add a three of his own to give Auburn a 53-37 lead. Redhawks guard Brayden Maldonado connected with two three-pointers of his own to keep his team in the game. He has 19 points in the game.
1st half stats (Auburn 42, Seattle U 31)
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F Keyshawn Hall (9 points, 9 rebounds)
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F Filip Jovic (8 points, 3 rebounds)
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F Sebastian Williams-Adams (8 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists0
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G Kevin Overton (7 points, 2 rebounds)
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G Tahaad Pettiford (4 points, 1 assist)
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F Elyjah Freeman (3 points, 5 rebounds)
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G Kaden Magwood (3 points)
Auburn adds to the lead (Auburn 32, Seattle U 20 - 7:22 1st half)
Elyjah Freeman made a layup with 8:07 until halftime to add to the lead and extend the run to 11-0. Auburn is currently shooting 55% while Seattle U is shooting just 37.5%. Also, the Tigers continue to win in rebounding with a 14-6 advantage.
9-0 Tigers run (Auburn 30, Seattle U 20 - 8:37 1st half)
The Redhawks are forced to use a timeout after Auburn creates some separation with a 9-0 run. The Tigers used turnovers and seven points from Keyshawn Hall to take a ten-point lead.
Sebastin Williams-Adams takes over (Auburn 21, Seattle U 17 - 10:49 1st half)
With the game tied at 15 each with 12:40 remaining in the half, the Tigers Sebastin Williams-Adams scored six straight points for the Tigers to give them a four point advantage. Overton is leading the Tigers with seven points and scored the basket that tied the game at 15. Auburn is currently winning the rebound battle 10-4.
Auburn has the early lead (Auburn 8, Seattle U 6 - 15:49 1st half)
Both teams struggled early to find the shot before a pair of three-pointers by the Redhawks. Auburn scored their first five points from the foul line and put Seattle U center Austin Maurer in early foul trouble with two. Kevin Overton knocked down a three to give the Tigers the lead before the media timeout.
Auburn-Seattle will begin behind schedule
Due to the length of Illinois State-Wake Forest on ESPN2, the Auburn-Seattle game will begin at approximately 5:35 p.m. CT.
Auburn basketball announces starting five
Here's how the Tigers will start off on Sunday against the Seattle U Redhawks.
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Kevin Overton
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Keyshawn Hall
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Elyjah Freeman
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Filip Jovic
Auburn vs Seattle U injury report
Auburn's injuries:
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F Keshawn Murphy (Undisclosed)
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F Emeka Opurum (Undisclosed)
Murphy opted out of playing in the NIT and will not be available for Sunday's game. A medical condition has sidelined Opurum since December.
Seattle U will have a full roster for Sunday's game at Auburn.
Auburn vs. Seattle U time today
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Date: Sunday, March 22
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Start time: 5:30 p.m. CT
The Auburn-Seattle U game starts at 5:30 p.m. CT from Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama.
What channel is the Auburn vs Seattle U game on today? TV channel, streaming info
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TV Channel: ESPN2
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Livestream: Fubo (free trial)
The second round NIT matchup between Auburn and Seattle U will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 on Sunday, March 22. Mike Morgan and Richard Hendrix will call the game courtside from Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama. Streaming options include Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn defeats Seattle U 91-85 to advance to NIT quarterfinals
