Auburn basketball came into an important game against Tennessee in the SEC tournament quarterfinals, but they were not able to walk away with the win, even after having the lead after halftime. They gave up a 10-point lead in the final 10 minutes of the game, and head coach Steven Pearl can point out where things went wrong.
“It was 8.5 minutes we were in the bonus with 12 minutes left, and we went 8.5 minutes without drawing a foul,” Pearl said. “When you go on a run like that, it's really part of what we do to break up runs, to get to the free throw line. I gotta go back and watch the tape, but 8.5 minutes against a team that's as physical as Tennessee. That's um, something.”
"8.5 minutes against a team that's as physical as Tennessee. That's um, something." – Steven Pearl on Auburn's inability to get to the free throw line during Tennessee's 20-0 run pic.twitter.com/yDtIraPiYA
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) March 12, 2026
Auburn maybe should have gone to the free-throw line a few times in that sequence, but they also needed to stop Tennessee from scoring on the other end.
As a result, Auburn will now be in watch mode as they're on the NCAA's tournament bubble. If they're able to still get into the tournament, they'll be the first at-large team to advance with 16 losses. Pearl vouched for his team to get in after their loss to Tennessee, saying that they've had a tough schedule, but have seven wins in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games.
“Our guys have some of the best wins in college basketball, and this team deserves to be in a tournament. It's a team that can win games in the tournament, and I think they've done enough, ultimately, to have their name called on Selection Sunday, Pearl said.
Though they have a chance at getting in, some believe that Miami may take their bid.
