AUBURN, Ala. – Seattle U men’s basketball closed its 2025-26 season Sunday evening with a hard-fought 91-85 loss at Auburn in the second round of the NIT at Neville Arena.
The Redhawks (21-14) delivered one of their most efficient offensive performances of the season, shooting 51.7% from the field and knocking down 16 three-pointers at a 51.6% clip, but couldn’t overcome Auburn’s edge on the glass and at the free-throw line.
Brayden Maldonado led the charge, finishing with a game-high 25 points on 7-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc while adding five assists. Junseok Yeo had 13 points and six rebounds, John Christofilis provided a spark off the bench with 13 points, including a trio of triples, and Will Heimbrodt finished with 12 points, four assists and four blocks. Maleek Arington rounded out his final collegiate game with eight points, four assists and four steals.
Auburn (19-16) used an 11-0 run midway through the period first period to break open a slow offensive start for both sides. The Tigers capitalized on second-chance opportunities and interior scoring to build a double-digit advantage, taking a 42-31 lead into halftime.
Auburn extended its lead to as many as 16 early in the second half, but the Redhawks refused to fold. Behind a red-hot shooting stretch, Seattle U caught fire from deep, hitting 12 three-pointers after the break while shooting 62.5 percent overall in the second half.
Seattle U’s late surge cut the deficit to single digits in the final minute, and back-to-back three-pointers by Jojo Murphy and Maldonado brought the Redhawks within four, 89-85, in the closing seconds. However, Auburn converted at the free throw line down the stretch to secure the win.
The Tigers were led by Kevin Overton’s 23 points and 19 from Elyjah Freeman, while holding a 41-23 advantage on the boards and converting 24-of-32 from the free-throw line.
The Redhawks outscored the Tigers 54-49 in the second half in the program’s sixth ever game against a member of the SEC.
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