Steven Pearl, Auburn Win 2026 NIT Championship Game in OT After Tulsa's 21-Point Rally

Auburn may have missed out on the NCAA tournament, but the Tigers still ended the first season of the Steve Pearl era with a win.

Auburn downed Tulsa 92-86 on Sunday in the NIT championship, holding off the Golden Hurricane after they rallied from 21 points down.

The win marks the Tigers' first NIT championship in program history.

Auburn appeared well on its way to an easy win in the first half after jumping out to a 34-13 lead, and the Tigers remained comfortably in front through the first few minutes of the second half.

The Golden Hurricane clawed back, however, cutting it to just 10 points by the 13-minute mark and tying things up around the 10-minute mark.

The two sides traded blows for a few minutes, and Tulsa took a five-point lead into the final minute. A three from Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford cut the deficit to two points at the 45-second mark, and after some free throws for the Golden Hurricane, Kevin Overton delivered a game-tying basket with just eight seconds left.

It was more back and forth in overtime, but a four-point lead for Auburn heading into the final minute gave the Tigers enough breathing room to ice the game at the line.

The duo of Overton and Pettiford led the way for Auburn, as Overton dropped 26 and Pettiford posted 24 with eight assists.

The Tigers would have preferred to have gotten the chance to play in March Madness this year, but they at least got the chance for some additional basketball, which is valuable for a young coach like Pearl.

Auburn will now look to attack the offseason so it can return to the NCAA tournament next year.