Auburn
AUBURN, Ala. (03/24/2026) — The Auburn Tigers secured a wire-to-wire 75-69 victory over the Nevada Wolf Pack on Tuesday night at Neville Arena, leveraging a dominant first half and balanced scoring to fend off a persistent second-half rally.
Four Tigers scored in double figures, led by forward Filip Jovic’s 18 points and nine rebounds. The win marked a strong home performance for Auburn, who controlled the game’s tempo and protected the basketball effectively, committing only seven turnovers.
How It Happened
Nevada opened the scoring with a driving layup from Vaughn Weems just 42 seconds into the contest, but that would be the Wolf Pack's only lead of the night. Auburn's Keyshawn Hall answered immediately with a 25-foot three-pointer, and a dunk from Filip Jovic at the 17:41 mark gave the Tigers a lead they would never relinquish.
Auburn built its advantage from behind the arc. A three from Tahaad Pettiford pushed the lead to 16-8 with 15:27 left in the half. The Tigers then ignited a decisive run, starting with Jovic's tip-in dunk at 8:35. Back-to-back three-pointers from Hall and Elyjah Freeman in a 29-second span extended the Auburn lead to its largest point, 30-14. The Tigers’ offense flowed efficiently, building a 38-26 advantage by halftime, punctuated by a series of powerful dunks from Jovic.
To start the second half, Jovic continued his assault on the rim with another dunk, and a long-range three from Pettiford at the 18:21 mark pushed the lead back to 14. Nevada refused to go away, however. Elijah Price, who was a force for the Wolf Pack all night, battled inside while guard Corey Camper Jr. began to heat up from outside.
Camper Jr. connected on a pair of deep three-pointers late in the half, cutting the Auburn lead to 61-53 with 5:18 remaining. Nevada continued to chip away, with a three from Peyton White and another from Weems making it a two-possession game, 67-61, with 2:22 on the clock. But each time the Wolf Pack threatened, the Tigers had an answer. Critical dunks from Freeman and Hall in the final four minutes stemmed the tide and allowed Auburn to close out the hard-fought win.
Turning Point
The game was decided in the first half during a blistering 14-1 run by the Tigers. Leading 16-13, Auburn’s offense exploded. The stretch was capped by consecutive three-pointers from Keyshawn Hall and Elyjah Freeman at 7:51 and 7:22, respectively, ballooning the lead to 30-14. This offensive burst created a cushion that proved too large for Nevada to overcome, forcing the Wolf Pack to play catch-up for the remainder of the contest.
Star of the Game
Filip Jovic, Auburn Tigers
The Auburn forward was the most dominant physical presence on the floor. Jovic finished with a team-high 18 points and narrowly missed a double-double with nine rebounds. He was ruthlessly efficient, scoring on a variety of dunks and tip-ins that energized the Neville Arena crowd. His interior scoring was the perfect complement to Auburn's perimeter attack and a constant answer to Nevada's comeback attempts.
Nevada’s Elijah Price also delivered a stellar performance in the loss, posting a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double.
What It Means
For the Auburn Tigers, the victory demonstrates the strength of their multi-faceted offense. With four players scoring 14 or more points, Auburn proved it can beat teams from both the paint and the perimeter. Perhaps most importantly, their ball security was exceptional, finishing with just seven turnovers compared to Nevada's 12. This disciplined approach was key to maintaining control when Nevada made its late-game pushes.
For the Nevada Wolf Pack, it's a tough road loss, but their second-half resilience is a positive takeaway. They shot a respectable 46% from the field and showed they could score in bunches to get back into a game. The early 16-point deficit, however, created by Auburn's hot shooting, was ultimately their undoing. The performance of Elijah Price against an SEC frontcourt confirms he can be a dominant force against high-level competition.