AUBURN, Ala. – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team suffered a 92-59 loss against Auburn in its 2026-27 season opener Wednesday night in Neville Arena.
Southeastern (0-1) suffered its first loss of the season on the road against Auburn (1-0) to start its non conference slate. SLU battled throughout the first half to stay within reach, but Auburn's early second half momentum solidified the victory, shooting 60.0 percent from the three-point line in the final half. Two Lions finished the contest in double-figures led Bryant transfer Quincy Allen with 16 points.
Allen closed out the game shooting 5-12 from the field, 4-8 from behind the arc and 2-2 from the charity stripe. McNeese transfer Yanis Ndjoga followed up for SLU with 13 points, connecting on 5-12 shots from the field and 3-6 shots from the three-point line. Logan Suber ended with nine points and three steals while tying to lead the team with six rebounds alongside Ndjonga.
Auburn came out of the gate with a 5-0 run in the opening minutes of the first half, but Southeastern quickly recovered as Ndjonga started the game hot from the three-point line. The graduate transfer charged SLU's run against the Tigers with his ability to step out behind the arc, knocking down two three-point daggers within two minutes to give the visitors the lead, 7-6. Both teams battled back and forth working to settle in and control the pace of the game.
The green and gold fought to stay within the fight, forcing the Tigers into nine turnovers in the first half. Ndjonga continued to lead the Lions with double-figures in the first half as Southeastern remained aggressive midway through the opening half down by seven, 21-14. Tahaad Pettiford (18 points) stepped up for Auburn late in the half to fuel a scoring run.
The Tigers relied on their advantage in the paint as they capitalized on 22 paint points and 15 second chance points in the first half. With multiple Southeastern posts in foul trouble, Auburn pulled away late in the first half as Kolby King (12 points) and George Kimble III (10 points) stepped up to cause problems for SLU, 31-23. As the hosts also turned up their on ball pressure, costly turnovers allowed the Tigers to gain easy points in transition.
Pettiford turned the tide of momentum for Auburn in the final seconds as he connected on a half court shot to close out the first half with the lead, 42-25. The Tigers remained strong on the glass as they posted a 29-19 advantage in rebounds while finishing 50.0 percent from the field.
Southeastern remained aggressive after returning from the halftime break, but Auburn carried over its late first half momentum. Both teams battled back and forth as SLU refused to give up without a fight as Allen and Suber carried the visitors, 49-34. The Tigers doubled their intensity as they forced the green and gold into nine turnovers to convert on ten points and nine fast break points.
The Lions fought to capitalize on defensive breakdowns by the Tigers, but struggled to minimize their deficit as their offensive woes continued, shooting 34.4 percent from the field in the second half. Kevin Overton (12 points) sparked a run down the stretch for Auburn from the three-point line to extend its lead as the visitors' scoring drought remained, 84-54. Though SLU battled down the stretch, the Tigers second half momentum proved to be too much to overcome as five players ended the game in double-figures for the hosts.
Auburn closed out the game shooting 50.8 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from the three-point line and 59.3 percent from the free throw line. SLU ended the contest shooting 29.9 percent from the field, 24.4 percent from behind the arc and 57.9 percent from the line. The green and gold recorded 22 paint points, 17 second chance points and 16 points off turnovers against the Tigers.
Southeastern will remain on the road to face Arkansas-Little Rock Saturday at 7 p.m. Saturday's game against the Trojans will be streamed on ESPN+.
HARDWOOD CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the basketball program are encouraged to join the Hardwood Club. Lion alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letterwinners. All membership fees and donations to Hardwood Club are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern basketball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Basketball, follow @LionUpMBB and @DavidKieferSLU on Twitter, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
TICKETS
For ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net/tickets. Southeastern is implementing mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets. All tickets will be available via e-mail in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
