Tahaad Pettiford overcame a slow start to score 18 points as Auburn defeated Southeastern Louisiana 92-59 on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.
Pettiford missed his first eight field-goal attempts before a breakaway dunk got him on the scoreboard midway through the first half. His half-court buzzer-beater capped an 11-1 run and gave the Tigers a 42-25 halftime lead over the Lions.
Southeastern Louisiana used strong perimeter shooting to hold an early lead. Back-to-back baskets by Logan Suber and Jackson Furman gave the Lions a 14-13 advantage just before the under-12 media timeout.
Auburn entered Steven Pearl’s second season as coach looking to build on last season’s NIT championship and return to the NCAA Tournament after missing the field for the first time in five seasons.
Auburn had five players score in double figures and shot 50.8% from the floor, making 32 of 63 field-goal attempts. The Tigers also connected on 12 of 26 3-point attempts and grabbed 50 rebounds.
Auburn’s defense helped put the game out of reach in the second half. A 15-2 run extended the Tigers’ lead to 69-40 with under nine minutes remaining as Southeastern Louisiana went without a field goal for multiple stretches of at least four minutes.
The Lions shot 29.9% from the floor as Auburn recorded 10 steals and received 36 points from its bench.
The Tigers shot 51.5% from the field in the second half, including 60% from 3-point range, making nine shots from beyond the arc.
Kolby King and Kevin Overton each added 12 points for Auburn, while Narcisse Ngoy contributed 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots.
Quincy Allen led Southeastern Louisiana with 16 points. The Lions grabbed 18 offensive rebounds and converted them into 17 second-chance points.
Auburn also blocked 11 shots, its most since recording 11 against Oklahoma on Feb. 4, 2025.
The Tigers continue their homestand Monday against Appalachian State. Southeastern Louisiana visits Little Rock on Saturday.