Auburn Keeps Tournament Hopes Alive, Stuns Kentucky with Comeback Win

AUBURN, Ala. – Elyjah Freeman’s putback with one second to go gave the Auburn Tigers a dramatic 75-74 win over Kentucky Saturday at Neville Arena.

“Our fanbase, whether we deserve it (or) not, they are unbelievable,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said. “Big win for our team. Felt like that was one we had to get. Our guys did a good job of battling the highs and lows of that game and continuing to fight. We’ve got to do a better job of finishing games. Our guys hung in there, and Elyjah makes a big play late.”

Trailing by one point after a foul on Kentucky with 14.3 seconds left, Auburn got three chances for the win. After Kevin Overton’s shot was blocked, KeShawn Murphy missed a putback, but Freeman followed with the winning bucket.

FOR THE WIN‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/AUBUCGoxX4
— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) February 22, 2026

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“My mindset was go to the glass and whatever comes off, make a play,” said Freeman, Auburn’s second-leading scorer with 11 points. “It ended up falling over, and something good happened.”

Murphy scored a career-high 25 points and added 10 rebounds to log his fifth double-double of the season.

Makin' himself a highlight reel🙌 pic.twitter.com/lqmhLICEN3
— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) February 22, 2026

“He had a lot of step-up tonight,” Pearl said. “He was disappointed in how he played against Mississippi State, and he followed it up with an incredible effort tonight.”

Keyshawn Hall flirted with a triple-double, totaling 10 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Overton scored 10 points and drew the game-changing offensive foul.

Trailing by four at the half, Auburn fell behind by nine early in the second half after a 7-0 Kentucky run before the Tigers battled back.

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Tahaad Pettiford hit a 3-pointer to cap a 7-0 Auburn run that pulled the Tigers within two.

Denzel Aberdeen hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give Kentucky a 53-47 lead midway through the second half.

Auburn got stops and transition points, with Hall grabbing defensive rebounds and feeding Murphy for a pair of layups to tie the score at 53-53.

Two Murphy free throws and an Overton layup completed a 10-0 Auburn run that gave the Tigers a four-point lead with 7:34 remaining.

Kentucky’s leading scorer with a career-high 29 points, Otega Oweh brought the Wildcats back with a pair of layups to even the game at 59-59.

Murphy broke the tie with a bank shot, then Hall finally got to the free-throw line for the first time with 4:08 to play on a 3-point play.

Hall fed Murphy again for a dunk that gave Auburn a six-point lead at the 3:35 mark.

Aberdeen answered with another 3-pointer, then Oweh made a 3-pointer and a layup after an Auburn turnover to tie the score at 68-68 with 2:01 to go.

“We needed to make one more play,” Kentucky coach Mark Pope said. “We didn’t make enough plays. Credit to Auburn. Credit to (Murphy). He had a terrific night and performed well.”

Murphy saved his best for last, hitting a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Tigers a 71-68 lead with 1:47 on the clock.

“I was really confident, and I’ve made that shot before,” Murphy said. “I practice it so much it felt like another rep to me. When I’m that open, I’ll probably shoot it again. I’m just glad I made it to go up three and get the win.”

Auburn committed back-to-back turnovers, opening the door for the Wildcats to go ahead by one on Oweh’s two free throws and his transition dunk.

Kentucky (17-10, 8-6) took a 74-71 lead on two Aberdeen free throws with 18 seconds left.

After Pettiford drew a foul and hit both free throws with 14 seconds to go, Kentucky fouled Overton while trying to inbound the ball, setting the stage for Freeman’s timely tip-in.

Hall, Overton, and Freeman made Auburn’s three first-half 3-pointers in a span of 2 minutes and 19 seconds, helping the Tigers take a six-point lead.

Auburn struggled at the rim, missing 9-of-11 layups in the first half while Kentucky ended the half on a 7-0 run to lead 39-35 at intermission.

The Tigers (15-12, 6-8) travel to Norman, Oklahoma, on Tuesday at 8 p.m. CT to play the Sooners on ESPNU and the Auburn Sports Network before returning to Neville Arena next Saturday to host Ole Miss at 7:30 p.m. CT on Senior Night, featuring free Standing on Business T-shirts for Auburn University students.

“Huge win for us, but it means nothing if we don’t prepare for Oklahoma with the same desperation that we prepared for tonight,” Pearl said.

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer