<\/p>\n
AUBURN, Ala. <\/strong>\u2013<\/strong>\u00a0 With five 20-plus point games in March, Kevin Overton<\/a> hopes to lead Auburn to the National Invitation Tournament semifinals for the first time in program history.<\/p>\n \u201cJust trying to win games,\u201d said Overton, who\u2019s averaging 22 points in the NIT while shooting 50 percent from 3-point range.<\/p>\n Motivated by being left out of the NCAA Tournament, Overton seeks to unleash that frustration on Auburn\u2019s NIT opponents, with Nevada up next on Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cPlaying with that killer instinct,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is the result of hard work. Our ability to stay together has been the story of the year. Knowing you only have a few more games left, you leave everything you can out there.\u201d<\/p>\n An Auburn victory would give the Tigers a fifth consecutive 20-win season.<\/p>\n \u201cIt means everything to me,\u201d Overton said. \u201cAnything and everything possible, we went through. To be able to say we were able to get to a 20-win season or get to a chance to play for one of three teams that can win the last game of the season, I think is incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s another late show at Neville Wednesday with the Tigers and the Wolf Pack tipping off at 8 p.m. CT, Auburn\u2019s final home game of the 2025-26 season.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to encourage fans to continue to support this group,\u201d Auburn coach Steven Pearl<\/a> said. \u201cOne more opportunity to play at home in front of our fans that have been so great to us. We would love to have you in the building.\u201d<\/p>\n Coached by Steve Alford, Nevada is chasing victory No. 25 as well as the trip to Indianapolis for next week\u2019s semifinals that awaits Wednesday\u2019s winner.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have nine really solid pieces who do a lot of really good things for them,\u201d Pearl said. \u201cThey look like they\u2019re still enjoying playing, which is always dangerous. They\u2019re playing with a different level of energy and a different level of purpose, so our guys are going to be challenged.\u201d<\/p>\n 6-foot-5 guard Corey Camper Jr., a first-team All-Mountain West Conference honoree, leads four Nevada players in double figures, averaging 16.8 points per game. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we watch them on film, they\u2019re still playing for something,\u201d Pearl said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to be able to respond to that because they\u2019re going to come out flying around. They\u2019ll be amped up for this one and our guys have to be ready because they\u2019re going to try to throw the first punch.\u201d<\/p>\n After NIT home victories over South Alabama and Seattle U, Auburn (19-16) hosts Nevada (24-12) Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT in the NIT quarterfinals on ESPN2 and the Auburn Sports Network, where Andy Burcham and Randall Dickey will call the action.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this point, we\u2019re not going to change anything,\u201d Pearl said. \u201cWe are who we are. We talked about having to start well against Seattle, I thought they came out with great energy and good purpose. I thought they played hard. They were excited to be there and they\u2019re going to have to do that again.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @<\/strong>jeff_shearer<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n