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A chaotic scene unfolded at Auburn University Tuesday night when a wild buzzer-beater was dismissed long after the Tigers had celebrated on their own field.
With 0.6 seconds left and Auburn trailing 90-88, KeShawn Murphy, somehow left wide open, caught an inbounds pass and nailed a long 3-pointer for what was thought to be the game winner.
However, the referees went to the scorers’ table to review the play, which was tremendously close.
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Auburn Tigers players watch a replay of a potential game-winning shot that was called back as the Auburn Tigers face the Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Jake Crandall/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
In the end, officials ruled that the shot had not been fired in time, ending the Tigers’ celebration and prompting one for Texas A&M.
The referees quickly became public enemy number one and were pelted with debris by fans as they left the court. At least one referee needed his head covered.
One fan sitting courtside even turned his back and threw his drink over his shoulder aimed at a referee.
“They didn’t say a word. They just said it wasn’t good and ran off the court. He probably wouldn’t want to talk to me at that point anyway,” Auburn head coach Steven Pearl, who replaced his father Bruce this season, said after the game. “So, I understand why they ran from me. Just from the angles I saw, it looked like I was out of their depth. But that’s just, I don’t have all the same angles that they have.”
Texas A&M Aggies players celebrate victory as the Auburn Tigers face the Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama, on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. (Jake Crandall/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
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It’s now six losses in their last 10 games for the Tigers after starting 5-1. They lost in the Final Four last year to Florida, which won the national championship over Houston.
Auburn (9-6, 0-2) led 47-37 at halftime and extended the margin to 61-45 with 12:29 remaining.
KeShawn Murphy of the Auburn Tigers reacts after officials ruled his last-second shot did not beat the shot clock to win the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena on January 6, 2026 in Auburn, Alabama. (Stew Milne/Getty Images)
Texas A&M responded with a steady run fueled by outside shots, taking its first lead at 8:42 when Pop Isaacs hit a three-pointer. The Aggies followed with consecutive three-pointers from Isaacs to open a five-point cushion that they would not give up, just by a hair.
