Kevin Overton and Elyjah Freeman combined for 42 points and eight 3-pointers as top-seeded Auburn defeated Seattle U 91-85 on Sunday at Neville Arena in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
The win extended Auburn’s nation-best home non-conference win streak to 66 consecutive wins.
“I want to thank our fans that came out tonight. Our guys felt their presence, and they’ve been phenomenal for us all year,” said Auburn head coach Steven Pearl. “To score 91 points against that team is good. As the game went on, guys made shots.”
Overton reached the 20-point mark for the sixth time in the last eight games, leading Auburn with 23 points.
The left-handed sharpshooter connected on his 84th triple in the contest, pushing him into the top 10 for single-season threes at Auburn.
“KO’s been playing well offensively since SEC play got started,” Pearl said. “Every time he shoots it, we think it’s going in. He’s been a great spark for us offensively.”
Freeman went 4-for-4 from deep in the second half, playing the entire game while scoring 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds.
“Being able to do things all around the court,” Freeman said. “Trying to help our team at both ends. Staying confident and trusting the shot.”
The Tigers led by 11 at the break, although they connected on just 2-of-13 deep shots.
Overton and Freeman combined for a 7-of-9 3-point mark in the second stanza.
Auburn tallied 91 points behind the duo’s efforts, the most post it has scored since its first matchup against Alabama in the regular season.
Seattle U entered the contest ranked No. 23 nationally in scoring defense, holding its opponents below 67 points per game.
“We did a good job of making the easy pass and getting downhill,” Pearl said. “We shared it. We did a lot of good things offensively that we can build off.”
Keyshawn hall score nine points, all in the first half, but hauled in 15 boards with nine assists. “He did a good job of doing the things we ask him to do,” Pearl said. “Fifteen rebounds is huge.”
Sebastian Williams-Adams tied a career high with 15 points on a perfect 6-of-6 mark from the floor.
Auburn dominated the Redhawks in the paint, punishing them for 38 points down low with a 41-23 advantage on the boards.
The Tigers allowed 16 3-pointers, however, led by Brayden Maldonado’s seven triples and a game-high 25 points.
Auburn hosts Nevada in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT. TG
