AUBURN, Ala. – Kevin Overton and Elyjah Freeman teamed up for eight 3-pointers to lead Auburn to a 91-85 victory over Seattle U Sunday at Neville Arena, advancing the Tigers to the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament.
“I want to thank our fans that came out tonight. Our guys felt their presence, and they’ve been phenomenal for us all year,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said. “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 fifth time in March, leading Auburn with 23 points.
“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.”
“He did a great job of attacking the rim,” Pearl said. “It was great to see him knock down shots.”
Leading by 11 after a first half that saw the Tigers make 2 of 13 3-point attempts, Auburn needed only four minutes in the second half to exceed that total.
Overton and Freeman did most of their damage after intermission, combining to go 7-for-9 from long range in the second half to help the Auburn maintain a double-digit lead until the final two minutes.
It took Auburn only 30 minutes to score 66 points, the total Seattle U allows on average while ranking No. 23 nationally in scoring defense.
“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 nearly outrebounded Seattle U by himself, grabbing 15 boards and leading the Tigers with five assists while scoring nine points.
“He did a good job of doing the things we ask him to do,” Pearl said. “Fifteen rebounds is huge.”
Sebastian Williams-Adams produced a nearly flawless scoring night, going 6-for-6 from the field and making 3 of 4 free throws to score 15 points with three assists and two steals.
“Focusing on what I do best and not trying to change my game,” Williams-Adams said. “We love playing with each other. Being able to play in front of the Jungle is amazing. We relish the opportunity to be able to compete and show our skills on TV.”
“He was searching for the ball tonight,” Pearl said. “He played great. I told him to be aggressive and look to go make plays when the ball is in your hands.”
Filip Jovic also reached double figures with 12 points.
Overton picked up where he left off after making seven 3-pointers in Auburn’s NIT win over South Alabama, hitting the Tigers’ first 3-pointer against Seattle U.
Kaden Magwood again provided a spark off the bench, giving Auburn an early lead with a 3-point play.
Williams-Adams scored six straight points for Auburn midway through the half to give Auburn a lead it would not relinquish. He and Jovic combined for 16 first-half points while going 5-for-5 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
Williams-Adams passed to Hall for a corner 3-pointer that began an 11-0 Auburn run that featured consecutive Williams-Adams steals that led to transition buckets followed by a Seattle U timeout.
Auburn outrebounded the Redhawks 23-11 in the first half and led 42-31 at halftime. The Tigers outrebounded Seattle U 41-23 over 40 minutes, yielding only one offensive rebound.
Brayden Maldonado made seven of Seattle U’s 16 3-pointers, leading the Redhawks (21-14) with a game-high 25 points.
Seeking its 20th win of the season and a trip to Indianapolis for the semifinals, Auburn (19-16) hosts Nevada (24-12) in the NIT quarterfinals Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT at Neville Arena..
