Keyshawn Hall Dropped 24 and Auburn's Shooting Was Absolutely Unreal: Now They're Playing for the NIT Championship

Auburn just obliterated Illinois State 88-66 on Thursday night and booked a ticket to Sunday's NIT title game, and if you watched this one, you know why. Keyshawn Hall was straight up unconscious, dropping 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting with six boards and three assists. The Tigers' offense was operating on another level entirely, and now they're heading to face Tulsa for all the marbles.

Hall and the Tigers Put on a Three-Point Clinic

Let's be real: Auburn's shooting was nasty. They torched Illinois State from everywhere on the floor, connecting on 34 of 56 shots (60.7%) overall and absolutely cooking it from deep at 12 of 21 (57.1%). Hall hit 2 of 4 from three and was nearly unstoppable all night. But he wasn't alone. Kevin Overton went a perfect 5 for 5 from deep and finished with 16 points. Filip Jovic added 13. The Redbirds had zero answers for this offensive onslaught, and it showed.

The early minutes were actually competitive. Both teams were launching it with confidence, shooting over 60% from the floor and from three in the first eight-plus minutes. Johnny Kinziger kept Illinois State close with five points early as Auburn led just 21-16. But then Auburn's depth took over. Tahaad Pettiford hit a four-point play from 30 feet with a foul at 8:36, pushing Auburn to 33-24, and the Tigers never looked back. A late 7-0 run got them to 51-38 at halftime, with Hall and Overton combining for 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting.

Second Half Was a Complete Runaway

Illinois State had no chance once the second half started. Hall scored seven points in the first four minutes of the third quarter, and Pettiford drained a trey to extend Auburn's lead to a commanding 61-41 at the 15:35 mark. That was basically game over. Illinois State (23-13) committed 18 turnovers that turned into 26 Auburn points, and they could never recover from the early onslaught.

Ty'Reek Coleman led the Redbirds with 17 points, while Ty Pence and Chase Walker had 13 apiece, but it wasn't enough. Pettiford finished with 12 points, five assists, and contributed two of Auburn's 13 steals.

First-year coach Steven Pearl's Tigers (21-16) are heading to Sunday night's NIT final to face Tulsa, who topped New Mexico 74-69 in the other semifinal. This is Auburn's shot at the title. Everything comes down to Sunday.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.