Auburn's Keyshawn Hall Went Off for 24 and the Tigers Are Now One Win Away From the NIT Crown
Auburn is heading to the NIT final, and Keyshawn Hall was absolutely unguardable on Thursday night. The Tigers dismantled Illinois State 88-66 in the second semifinal in Indianapolis, and now they're one game away from claiming the whole thing on Sunday.
Hall was the star of the show, dropping 24 points on a ridiculous 10-for-16 shooting night. The left-hander, who averages 19.4 points per game, also grabbed six rebounds, dished three assists, and snagged two steals. He hit 2 of 4 from three-point range and looked unstoppable whenever Auburn needed a bucket. This wasn't just volume scoring either. Hall was efficient, sharp, and in control.
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The Tigers didn't need Hall to win this one alone. Kevin Overton went 5 for 5 from deep for 16 points, Filip Jovic added 13, and Tahaad Pettiford chipped in 12 while also recording five assists, three rebounds, and two blocks. That's depth. That's balance. Auburn shot 34 of 56 from the field (60.7%) and absolutely torched Illinois State from three, hitting 12 of 21 (57.1%). When you're shooting like that, you're winning games, period.
Illinois State kept pace early. Ty'Reek Coleman scored 17, and Ty Pence and Chase Walker each had 13 for the Redbirds. The Missouri Valley Conference school went toe-to-toe with Auburn for the first 10 minutes, both teams firing on all cylinders from deep. But Auburn's offense is just relentless. By halftime, the Tigers led 51-38, with Hall and Overton combining for 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting in just the first half. Auburn kept the pedal down in the second half, pushing the lead to 61-41 with 15:35 left. Illinois State never recovered.
Auburn Faces Tulsa for the Title
Auburn will face Tulsa in Sunday's NIT final. The Golden Hurricane is the other No. 1 seed and dispatched New Mexico 74-69 in the first semifinal. First-year coach Steven Pearl's Tigers improved to 21-16 with the win and are now two games away from a statement NIT championship. Tipoff is Sunday night.
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