No. 20 Auburn Wins Overtime Thriller in Coaching Debut

No. 20 Auburn narrowly defeated Bethune-Cookman 95-90 in overtime during Steven Pearl's debut as head coach. Keyshawn Hall led Auburn with 28 points, including seven in overtime, and was nearly perfect from the free-throw line, going 16-for-18. Auburn's dominance at the free-throw line, where they outscored Bethune-Cookman 27-8, was a key factor in the win despite the Wildcats shooting over 50% from the field and beyond the arc. Bethune-Cookman was led by Quentin Heady with 21 points and Arterio Morris, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds, including crucial free throws to send the game into overtime. The game featured 31 lead changes and intense back-and-forth action, with Auburn's depth and ability to draw fouls ultimately deciding the outcome. Auburn improved to 1-0 and extended their winning streak against nonconference opponents to 61 games, while Bethune-Cookman fell to 0-29 all-time against ranked teams.