AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) - With Anfernee McLemore and Mustapha Heron out for the Tigers, freshman Chuma Okeke stepped up to power No. 12 Auburn over Alabama 90-71.
"He really stepped up," Pearl said of Okeke. "He's good enough and talented enough to start on most teams."
Okeke would record his second double-double of the season, scoring 16 points and hauling in 10 rebounds for the Tigers.
"I just knew I had to step up with two of our teammates out," Okeke said. "I had to do what I had to do to help my team."
Teammate Jared Harper would also help fill the absences for Auburn, finishing the night with a team-high 21 points, including a 27-foot three-point shot.
"He was the best player on the floor tonight," Pearl said of Harper. "He was in control of that game today."
Auburn would get out to a lead early, going on an 8-0 run to start the game. The Tigers would lead 19-11 at the first media timeout, but their hot hand would cool quickly.
"We had to hit them in the mouth early," Pearl said of the quick start.
The Tide would power back throughout the game, led by guard Collin Sexton. Alabama would tie the game at 30 with 3:25 left in the first half, but that was as close as they would come to catching the Tigers.
Sexton would finish the night with a game-high 25 points, 14 more points than Alabama's second-leading scorer Braxton Key, who finished with 11 points.
Freshman Davion Mitchell would help lead the final push for Auburn, hitting back-to-back three-point shots, extending Auburn's lead 75-60 with 7:17 left in the half.
Harper and Bryce Brown would seal the deal for Auburn, scoring a combined 9 points in the final 5 minutes.
"This team's trying to make history, we have a long way to go," Pearl says on the victory. "This is a time to continue to prepare."
Auburn will now travel to Gainsville, Flordia Saturday for a match-up with the Gators. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. and will be on the SEC Network.
