Steven Pearl didn’t want to hear any talk about being close or showing promise after Auburn’s 73-72 loss to No. 1 Houston on Sunday.
In the opening statement of his postgame news conference, he made his feelings clear.
“Moral victories are for losers,” Pearl said. “So don’t ask me a question if I feel… no, I don’t. Because I told our guys I thought we were the better team.”
Three games into a season with a new head coach and an almost entirely new roster, Auburn was a missed shot at the buzzer away from knocking off the No. 1 team in the country. It felt similar to last season’s game over Houston at times, but that one ended with the Tigers scoring an early season-defining win on the road.
Auburn didn’t get the result it wanted on Sunday, but the performance showed how much the team has progressed since it squeaked out an overtime win against overmatched Bethune-Cookman in Game 1.
Pearl acknowledged that postgame, but that clearly didn’t make him feel any better about the loss.
When asked about matching Houston’s physicality, Pearl seemed slightly agitated but explained why he wasn’t surprised by Auburn being able to do that.
Auburn forward Keyshawn Hall (7) battles for a rebound against Houston forward/center Chris Cenac Jr. during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)AP
“That’s what we’ve been doing for the last eight years. That’s what our identity has been too,” Pearl said. “So, appreciate you guys talking about that and really focusing on it, but that’s what Auburn basketball has been for eight years now.”
Judging by Pearl’s answer, it seemed like he and the players wanted to prove their ability to play physical and match up with a team of Houston’s caliber.
“That was our emphasis going into this game,” Pearl continued. “Like, we rebound too, right? We guard physically too. We fly around too. And I told our guys, the expectation is to win the game, not play the game close. And obviously, really disappointed that we came up short.”
Pearl made it obvious after the game that he expected this kind of performance against Houston. Fans, viewers and outsiders may have been surprised that Auburn was a basket away from winning, but Pearl wasn’t.
When that level of play is the expectation, nothing short of winning will be seen as a success. That mentality creates even more reason to be optimistic about this team than the performance itself.
Auburn didn’t win on Sunday. Pearl didn’t get his first signature victory four games into his Auburn tenure.
But the performance showed that this team, which only returns one player from last year’s Final Four squad, is capable of competing with the best team in the country.
And they don’t expect to just compete. Auburn expects to win these games, and Pearl isn’t making any excuses.
“I have elite confidence in this group,” Pearl said. “But for us, it’s what we do from here.”
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