The Steven Pearl era is officially underway after the Tigers’ 95-90 win over Bethune-Cookman in their first regular season game. Auburn enters the season as a completely new-look team from last year, with sophomore guard Tahaad Pettiford being the only returning starter.
Auburn's new-look lineup impressed in its season opener, led by forward Keyshawn Hall, who dominated in his debut with 28 points and an 16-18 day from the free throw line. Guard Kevin Overton added 13 points, hitting clutch shots late, while Pettiford contributed 11 points and five assists. Wing Elyjah Freeman was solid in his Auburn debut with nine points and eight rebounds, highlighted by a crowd igniting Euro-step dunk. Forward Keyshawn Murphy gave the Tigers a huge lift off the bench with 17 points on 8-9 shooting. Forward Sebastian Williams-Adams added 15 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
It was a tough start for Auburn offensively, being held to just 17 points halfway through the first half with only a one-point lead. Buckets were tough to come by, with over half of Auburn’s scoring coming from the paint. Pettiford led the way early, knocking down two threes on his way to 8 first-half points.
The Tigers' new faces also made their presence felt. Overton added 5 points in the paint, while Freeman contributed five points and four rebounds to give Auburn a boost on both ends. Hall also battled inside for four points and four rebounds.
While Auburn’s defense lived up to expectations – forcing tough shots in the paint and out-rebounding, the Wildcats ability to capitalize on offensive miscues kept the game tight. The Tigers struggled to take care of the ball, committing six turnovers in the half, and could not capitalize at the free-throw line, going just 7-16 (43.8%). Those missed opportunities allowed Bethune-Cookman's hot shooting from three to keep things close.
With 1:49 left in the half, Auburn found themselves down one and looking for an offensive spark but never found it, heading into the locker room with a narrow 38-37 lead.
“I thought that too many times in the first half, as opposed to just executing our offense and just running our stuff, it just kind of got to be ‘my turn’, and we took some tough and some bad shots early that led to 13 points in transition for them,” Auburn head coach Steven Pearl said. “Thirteen of their 37 points came off of turnovers and just bad shots, I thought. And so that’s, similar to the Oklahoma State game. First game in Neville, you kind of expect some of those things, some of those early jitters."
Auburn found its rhythm in the second half, led by Keshawn Hall, who erupted for 17 points in his Auburn debut after a quiet first half. Hall’s strong play inside and efficient shooting helped spark a much-needed surge from the Tigers.
Midway through the half, Auburn strung together an eight-point run, highlighted by a crowd-lifting Euro-step slam from Elyjah Freeman that brought Neville Arena to its feet and gave the Tigers a 58-52 lead with 11:37 remaining. However, Bethune-Cookman stayed hot offensively, continuing to hit shots and keep Auburn on its heels. The Tigers’ offense stalled late, going over two minutes without a field goal as their lead shrank to just one with four minutes to play.
The teams traded baskets down the stretch until Overton buried a fadeaway jumper with 30 seconds left to give Auburn a two-point edge. Moments later, Sebastion Williams-Adams forced a huge turnover, and Overton calmly sank both free throws to push the lead to four. Bethune-Cookman answered with a deep three, then fouled to stop the clock. Hall converted two clutch free throws to restore a three-point lead – but with 0.3 seconds left, Freeman was called for a foul on a three-point attempt. The Wildcats hit all three free throws, tying the game at 81 and forcing overtime.
In the extra period, Hall continued to dominate, opening overtime with a powerful and-one finish in the paint. Back-to-back steals from Overton and Pettiford swung momentum back to Auburn as the Tigers took control. Hall went a perfect 5-for-5 from the line, while Freeman and Overton each added key baskets.
Bethune-Cookman cut the lead to two with a big three, but Auburn refused to fold. In the final minute, Freeman grabbed his own rebound for a putback layup and sealed the deal. The Tigers held on for the win, capping a gritty overtime performance.
“I feel like we were prepared,” Murphy said. “We talked about times like this when we actually go through adversity. It’s early in the season, and it’s our first time facing adversity, and we are prepared for the moment. Nobody folded, we held our heads high, and that was the difference between winning and losing.”
It was not an ideal performance, as missed three throws, turnovers, and defensive lapses allowed Bethune-Cookman to force overtime and keep the pressure on all night. Still, the Tigers’ depth stood out. Five Auburn players scored in double figures, and the Tigers out-rebounded the Wildcats 40-37 and scored 44 points in the paint. Despite the difficulties, Auburn showed grit and composure down the stretch, securing the overtime win to open the Steven Pearl era with plenty to build on.
The Tigers look clean things up and build on their win this Thursday, when they host Merrimack in Neville Arena, at 7:00 p.m. CDT.
