Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at Auburn Tigers
· NCAA Men's Basketball
No. 20 Auburn escapes in overtime against Bethune-Cookman in Steven Pearl's coaching debut
The Tigers led 81-78 in regulation when Elyjah Freeman fouled Arterio Morris on a half-court heave just before the buzzer. Morris knocked down all three free throws to send the game into overtime. Hall took over from there.
KeShawn Murphy added 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Tigers. The 6-foot-10 transfer from Mississippi State has been dealing with a knee injury but gave Auburn some much-needed size against the Wildcats.
Auburn has now won 61 consecutive games against non-conference opponents.
Quentin Heady led Bethune-Cookman with 21 points. He also had three rebounds and three assists. Morris finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Morris spent last season at South Plains College. He also had stints at Kansas and Texas.
Bethune-Cookman dropped to 0-29 all time against ranked teams.
It was a back-and-forth first half in which no team led by more than five. The Tigers found a lot of opportunities from the free-throw line in the first half but failed to capitalize.
The game featured 31 lead changes and a disparity at the free-throw line. Auburn made 27 of 38 from the charity stripe; Bethune-Cookman was 8 of 9.
Pearl replaced his retiring father, Bruce, in late September. The elder Pearl spent 11 seasons on the Plains and led the Tigers to the No. 1 overall seed in last seasons’ NCAA Tournament and a Final Four appearance. However, his son's debut came with a scare.
Auburn hosts Merrimack on Thursday.
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| 3rd 0:00 | End of Game | 90 - 95 |
| 3rd 0:00 | End of 1st OT | 90 - 95 |
| 3rd 0:02 | Elyjah Freeman Defensive Rebound. | 90 - 95 |
| 3rd 0:07 | Quentin Heady missed Three Point Jumper. | 90 - 95 |
| 3rd 0:14 | Elyjah Freeman made Two Point Tip Shot. | 90 - 95 |
Statistics
 BCU |
 AUB |
|
|---|---|---|
| 35-69 | FG | 31-66 |
| 50.7 | Field Goal % | 47.0 |
| 12-22 | 3PT | 6-23 |
| 54.5 | Three Point % | 26.1 |
| 8-9 | FT | 27-38 |
| 88.9 | Free Throw % | 71.1 |
| 33 | Rebounds | 40 |
| 7 | Offensive Rebounds | 15 |
| 26 | Defensive Rebounds | 25 |
| 17 | Assists | 14 |
| 8 | Steals | 9 |
| 8 | Blocks | 4 |
| 13 | Turnovers | 11 |
| 1 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
| 13 | Total Turnovers | 11 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 18 | Points Off Turnovers | 16 |
| 12 | Fast Break Points | 9 |
| 44 | Points in Paint | 48 |
| 25 | Fouls | 12 |
| 4 | Largest Lead | 6 |
Game Information
Location: Auburn, AL
Capacity:
2025-26 Southwestern Athletic Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama A&M | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Grambling | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Prairie View A&M | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Alabama State | 0-0 | - | 0-0 |
| Alcorn State | 0-0 | - | 0-1 |
| Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 0-0 | - | 0-1 |
| Bethune-Cookman | 0-0 | - | 0-1 |
| Florida A&M | 0-0 | - | 0-1 |
| Jackson State | 0-0 | - | 0-1 |
| Mississippi Valley State | 0-0 | - | 0-1 |
| Southern | 0-0 | - | 0-1 |
| Texas Southern | 0-0 | - | 0-1 |
2025-26 Southeastern Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Arkansas | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Auburn | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Georgia | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Kentucky | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Ole Miss | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Missouri | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Oklahoma | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| South Carolina | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Tennessee | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Texas A&M | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Vanderbilt | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| LSU | 0-0 | - | 0-0 |
| Mississippi State | 0-0 | - | 0-0 |
| Florida | 0-0 | - | 0-1 |
| Texas | 0-0 | - | 0-1 |