Auburn, Ala. (EETV) - Auburn puts on an offensive show to cruise past UConn 89-64 Saturday. 11 Tigers registered a point to capture the team's 11th win of the season to make them 11-1 heading into the holiday break.
“I think that the way we played that this is the best we’ve played," said Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl.
Auburn started the first half hot, jumping out to a 40-18 lead and would close out the half shooting 40.5% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc.
"When you get everybody on the same page, and we know what we are running, there is a chance that a pass can lead to that shot," Pearl said on his teams early lead. "The key is to be able to play fast and free and loose, and yet within the premise of
Auburn would finish the night with a similar stat line, headlined by 13 point performances from Mustafa Heron and Desean Murray. Teammates Malik Dunbar, Jared Harper and Davion Mitchell would also contribute double-digit scoring nights.
“When we go to the bench, we don’t really drop off," Pearl said of bench players Dunbar and Mitchell scoring double digits.
The Tigers would extend their first-half lead in the second by playing lock-down defense and controlling the boards. Auburn would end the night with 45 total rebounds on both sides of the floor, with Horace Spencer hauling in 10 of his own.
"Horace just his toughness, his physicality, and also keep this in mind," Pearl said of Spencer. "Don’t be getting selfish on me, don’t worry about shots when you have leadership like Horace Spencer has given us.”
Auburn's 11-1 start is the programs best start since the 1999-2000 season when the Tigers went 16-1 to start the season. Their win over UConn gives the Tigers their 9th straight win, tying their longest win streak since the 2002-2003 season.
Auburn will close out their non-conference play Dec. 30 when they welcome Cornell to the Auburn Arena. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT.
