Auburn Wins NIT Title on Overton's Clutch Overtime Shot

When Auburn needed a miracle, Kevin Overton delivered two of them.

The Tigers captured their first National Invitation Tournament championship Sunday with a dramatic 92-86 overtime victory against Tulsa in Indianapolis. Overton, named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, hit a clutch three-pointer with just eight seconds left in regulation to tie the game, then launched a 40-footer in overtime to seal the win.

"Trusting my work," Overton said after the game. "My teammates trust me to make shots."

The victory capped a remarkable tournament run for Auburn, who refused to quit despite losing two key players to fouls in the final minutes. Keyshawn Hall and Filip Jovic both fouled out, forcing the Tigers to play overtime with just five guards.

Auburn looked unstoppable early, building a 20-point lead in the second half. But Tulsa stormed back with a 22-2 run to take their first lead of the game. The Golden Hurricane pushed ahead by four points before Overton's first heroic three-pointer gave Auburn the lead again with just over four minutes remaining.

Tulsa appeared to have the game sealed, leading 78-74 with 18 seconds left. But Elyjah Freeman made a clutch free throw to cut the lead to three. Auburn then forced a five-second violation when Tulsa couldn't inbound the ball, giving Tahaad Pettiford time to find Overton in the corner for the game-tying shot.

"A regular play we have," Overton said. "I was prepared for it."

In overtime, with Auburn clinging to a two-point lead, Overton launched from well beyond the three-point line. The shot swished through, giving the Tigers an 89-84 advantage with just over two minutes remaining.

"Heat check," Overton said. "I felt like that was a normal shot for me all year."

Overton finished with 26 points, including five three-pointers. Pettiford added 24 points and eight assists, while Freeman grabbed 14 rebounds. Hall notched a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out.

Why This Inspires

Coach Steven Pearl praised his team's character after the championship. "I'm really proud of these kids. They found a way to stay together and beat five pretty good teams," he said.

The Tigers could have folded when their 20-point lead evaporated or when they lost two starters to fouls. Instead, they showed the kind of resilience that defines championship teams. They trusted each other, executed under pressure, and never stopped believing.

"We stayed together," Pettiford said. "We needed stops, we had to break them down and that's what we did in overtime."

Auburn finished the season as NIT champions, proving that sometimes the best stories require a little overtime to write their perfect ending.