NIT Observations: Auburn 91, Seattle U 85
It wasn't always pretty — especially at the end — but the Tigers lit up an elite defense and ensured they'll get one more home game in the NIT.
AUBURN — Sunday night was the ultimate styles clash: A top-15 offense playing as the favorite at home going up against an upset-minded top-20 defense.
Auburn knew it could not afford to play a game on the opponent’s terms. In five of its last six wins, Seattle U hadn’t given up more than 66 points — and the other team didn’t even break 60 in those other four victories. The Redhawks didn’t score more than 71 in any of those wins, either. They crave low-scoring, grind-it-out games.
It didn’t help matters that Auburn was coming off of a first-round NIT win over South Alabama in which it had an absolutely brutal offensive start against a weaker defense. The Tigers looked like they were still down from not making the NCAA Tournament and weren’t ready to play in the consolation bracket.
Auburn simply could not afford that kind of first half against Seattle U.
“We know that these teams aren’t the kind of teams you can start slow against,” freshman forward Sebastian Williams-Adams said. “We know they can beat us in the first 10 minutes, if it takes us a bit to wake up.”
By the midway point of the first half Sunday night, Auburn had retaken the lead over Seattle U and was starting what would grow into a crucial 11-0 run. Auburn led by double-digits for all but 1:20 of the next 27 minutes, and it would take some hot shooting by Seattle U just to make it a single-digit game in the closing stages.
This time, the Tigers looked like they were ready to play — and they got the job done by putting up a bunch of points on one of the nation’s best defenses.
“They knew these guys can come in here and beat us if we don’t step up, if we play nonchalant and if we play casual,” Auburn head coach Steven Pearl said after a 91-85 win. “I thought we started well tonight, which was really important.
“I told them, ‘South Alabama, we got down 11. If you do that against Seattle, with how they guard, it’s going to be hard to get back in the game.’”
Instead, Auburn made one of college basketball’s least efficient offenses have to chase the game for most of the 40 minutes of action.
Auburn became only the second team this season to score 90 on Seattle U, which had its second-worst game in offensive efficiency, forced turnover rate, 2-point defense and opponent free-throw rate. It was the first time the Tigers beat a team with a top-20 defense since the upset of now-eliminated defending champion Florida.
“Just allowing the guy next to us to knock down shots, and trusting our offensive rebounding… all of that falling into place really helped us offensively,” said wing Elyjah Freeman, who played all 40 minutes for Auburn in the second-round NIT win.
And while Seattle U hit a new season-best in 3-pointers (16-31) and scored 80-plus points on a Division I opponent not named Pepperdine for the first time since November, the Redhawks didn’t have quite enough to hang with the Tigers.
At this point in the season, it is what it is. Auburn has a defense, particularly when it comes to the 3-point line, that can be exploited by virtually anyone and everyone for standout performances. This has been around for the better part of 35 games now.
“Obviously, we aren't a good defensive team,” Pearl said. “That's something that we've got to improve in the offseason.”
The good news, at least, is that the offseason isn’t here yet.
Auburn, the No. 1 overall seed in the NIT field, is now the last high-major remaining. On Wednesday night, it will host Nevada in a game in which the winner will head to Indianapolis for the semifinals at the famed Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Unlike so many in the sport, these Tigers are still playing, getting valuable experience for a roster with plenty of potential returners and a first-year head coach still trying to establish himself in the pressure-packed role.
“It's incredibly valuable for me as a coach, because I'm able to get extra reps in my first year,” Pearl said. “But then, also, these younger guys that need more game experience, this has been really good for them — and it's something that we can hopefully turn into a positive and build towards the future.”
Here are four Observations from Auburn’s 91-85 win over Seattle U, along with the Rotation Charts, Nerd Stats and Quote of the Night.
Elyjah Freeman makes the most out of max playing time
Pearl issued a challenge to Freeman before Sunday night’s showdown with Seattle U.
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