AUBURN, Ala. – Advancing to the NIT semifinals for the first time, Auburn beat Nevada 75-69 Wednesday at Neville Arena, giving the Tigers five consecutive 20-wins seasons.
“Defensively, for the first 30 minutes, we did a lot of good things and made a lot of improvement,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said. “A lot of contributions. It’s not the tournament we want to be playing but our guys have done a great job of using this platform and this opportunity to go out there and hoop. I’m really proud of them for that and it’s something we can build on.”
Filip Jovic led Auburn with 18 points and nine rebounds, making 9 of 12 shots.
“I listen to my coaches, I understand everything,” Jovic said. “In the first half, they didn’t double me and I looked to make the right play. In the second half, they doubled me and I made the right plays for my teammates.”
Tahaad Pettiford scored 16 points and had a game-high six assists.
“That’s why we’re here. Our goal is to win it all, so that’s what we’re here to do,” Pettiford said. “Going to get ready to go to Indiana and finish business. I’m happy to play every single day with these guys and I can’t wait to go play another game with them.”
Elyjah Freeman scored 15 points and played all 40 minutes while Keyshawn Hall added 14 points and six rebounds.
Leading by 12 at the half, Jovic slammed two quick dunks to put Auburn ahead by 15 at the under-16 media timeout.
Nevada used a 7-0 run to pull within eight with 7:15 to play before Hall’s reverse layup and Pettiford’s 3-point play gave Auburn a 13-point lead a minute later.
The Wolf Pack did not go quietly, scoring seven straight points to trim the Tigers’ lead to six with 4:41 remaining.
After an Auburn turnover, Nevada missed an open corner 3-point attempt and Freeman answered with a dunk for a 63-55 Tigers’ lead at the 3:42 mark.
Pettiford made a steal and passed to Hall for a transition dunk to put Auburn ahead by double digits.
Nevada hit a pair of late 3-pointers, but Freeman delivered repeatedly for Auburn down the stretch, scoring eight points in the final four minutes to help the Tigers advance.
“He’s been great,” Pearl said of Freeman. “I loved a lot of the aggressive drives he makes. He did a great job late of getting to the rim and finishing. I’m proud of him for continuing to step up and show what he’s capable of.”
In the first half, Hall hit an early 3-pointer to help the Tigers trail for only 28 seconds. Pettiford jumped in a passing lane for a steal and drove for layup, then hit a 3-pointer for a 16-8 Auburn lead.
Auburn maintained a six-point lead despite missing its next seven shots.
Kevin Overton ended the dry spell with a 3-pointer from the top of the key before Jovic showcased his ballhandling ability with a spinning layup down the lane.
After Jovic dunked a putback to give him eight points on 4-for-4-shooting, Nevada double teamed the freshman, who found Hall in the corner for a 3-pointer.
“When he got doubled, he never panicked,“ Nevada coach Steve Alford said. “His ability to play out of the traps and get it go people who were open instead of forcing it showed a lot of intelligence on his part. He got trapped all night, gets 18 and nine and only has one turnover. Very impressive.”
Hall grabbed a defensive rebound and passed to Freeman for a 3-pointer to cap a 13-1 run that gave Auburn a 30-14 lead.
The Wolf Pack cut Auburn’s lead in half with an 8-0 run before Jovic threw down two more dunks to give the Tigers a 38-26 halftime lead, thanks for 12 points and six rebounds for the freshman from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Elijah Price logged a double-double for Nevada (24-13), totaling 22 points and 11 rebounds.
After winning three NIT games at Neville Arena, Auburn (20-16) will play Illinois State (23-12) next Thursday, April 2, at 8:30 p.m. CT at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, with the winner advancing to the NIT championship on Easter Sunday.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer