Auburn Advances to NIT Quarterfinals, Faces Nevada Challenge

Tigers extend nation's longest nonconference home winning streak to 66 games

Mar. 25, 2026 at 5:10am

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Auburn is the last power-conference program standing in the NIT as it prepares to host Nevada in a quarterfinal game on Wednesday night. The No. 1 seed Tigers (19-16) fought off a hard charge by Seattle University in a 91-85 victory on Sunday, keeping their home court advantage for one final game. Kevin Overton led Auburn with 23 points, 16 in the second half, as the Tigers outrebounded Seattle 41-23 and made 24 free throws compared to the Redhawks' seven. Second-seeded Nevada (24-12) advanced with a 73-63 win over Liberty, getting a triple-double from Corey Camper Jr.

Why it matters

Auburn's run in the NIT has kept them playing at home, extending their nation-leading nonconference home winning streak to 66 games. The quarterfinal matchup against Nevada presents a tough challenge, as the Wolf Pack feature four double-digit scorers led by Corey Camper Jr. The winner will advance to the NIT semifinals at Butler's campus.

The details

In the second-round win over Seattle, Auburn led 42-31 at halftime but had to hold off a strong second-half charge from the Redhawks. Coach Steven Pearl acknowledged his team's defensive struggles, as Seattle hit 16 3-pointers. However, the Tigers' rebounding edge and ability to get to the free-throw line proved crucial. For Nevada, the Wolf Pack got a standout performance from 6-foot-10 center Joel Armotrading, who had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks in 21 minutes after missing 16 games earlier in the season due to injury.

  • Auburn extended the nation's longest nonconference home winning streak to 66 games, a stretch that began on November 11, 2016.
  • The NIT quarterfinal game between Auburn and Nevada will be played on Wednesday night.

The players

Steven Pearl

The head coach of the Auburn Tigers basketball team.

Kevin Overton

A key player for Auburn, averaging 22 points per game in the team's two NIT wins so far.

Corey Camper Jr.

The star player for Nevada, recording a triple-double in the Wolf Pack's second-round NIT win.

Joel Armotrading

The 6-foot-10 center for Nevada who missed 16 games earlier in the season due to injury but is now making an impact for the Wolf Pack.

Steve Alford

The head coach of the Nevada Wolf Pack basketball team.

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What they’re saying

“Obviously, we aren't a good defensive team. That's something that we've got to improve in the offseason. We've just got to find ways of trying to limit teams from scoring more points. They made 16 3s. The problem is that their best shooter is the one that hit seven of them.”

— Steven Pearl, Head Coach, Auburn Tigers

“I thought Joel was as good as he's been. We're starting to see what it would've looked like if we'd have had Joel the whole year being healthy.”

— Steve Alford, Head Coach, Nevada Wolf Pack

What’s next

The winner of the Auburn-Nevada quarterfinal game will advance to the NIT semifinals on April 2 at Butler's campus.

The takeaway

Auburn's run in the NIT has showcased the team's offensive firepower, but also highlighted defensive concerns that the Tigers will need to address in the offseason. Meanwhile, Nevada's return to full strength with the healthy return of center Joel Armotrading makes them a formidable opponent in the quarterfinals.