Auburn Coach Thought There 'Was Lot of Physicality' on Both Ends

Pearl says officials let both teams play through physical game

Feb. 23, 2026 at 7:00pm

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Auburn coach Steven Pearl was not thrilled with the officiating in Saturday's UK-Auburn game, which Auburn won 75-74 on a last-second layup. Pearl said the officials let both teams play through a very physical game, with fouls being called on nearly every possession early on. He told his players not to ask for whistles since the officials were letting them play through the contact.

Why it matters

The physical nature of the game and the officiating decisions were a major factor in the outcome, with the controversial late-game call that led to Auburn's game-winning shot being a point of contention between the two teams and their coaches.

The details

In the final seconds, Auburn's Kevin Overton was called for an offensive foul after fighting for position with Kentucky's Colin Chandler on an inbounds pass. This gave Auburn the ball back, and they scored the game-winning layup with 1.2 seconds left. Pearl said he didn't see the play clearly, but that it looked like Chandler had extended his arms, leading to the call that set up Auburn's final possession.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 22, 2026.

The players

Steven Pearl

The head coach of the Auburn basketball team.

Colin Chandler

A player for the Kentucky basketball team who was involved in the controversial late-game foul call.

Kevin Overton

An Auburn player who was involved in the controversial late-game foul call.

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What they’re saying

“K.O.'s in a stance. K.O.'s back is to me, so I didn't see the play. But it looked like (Chandler) extended his arms, and we got the offensive foul, so we were able to get the ball back and did a great job of getting an inside touch so we could at least have the opportunity to get an offensive rebound.”

— Steven Pearl, Head Coach, Auburn Basketball

“I thought there was a foul on every single possession the first five minutes of the game. I think the officials tried to let both teams play through it.”

— Steven Pearl, Head Coach, Auburn Basketball

“For every foul was called on both ends, it would have been, you know, both teams would have shot 50 free throws. A lot of physicality on both ends. I thought they were holding us on every single-entry pass. I think it works both ways.”

— Steven Pearl, Head Coach, Auburn Basketball

What’s next

The officiating decisions and physical nature of the game are likely to be discussed and debated in the aftermath, potentially leading to further analysis or commentary from the teams, officials, and media.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the challenges of officiating a highly physical college basketball matchup, with both coaches and teams feeling the officials let a lot of contact go uncalled. The controversial late-game foul call that decided the outcome will likely be a point of contention moving forward.