AUBURN, AL (EETV) - In what seemed like a lifetime of waiting, Isaac Okoro made his return to the court with a roaring Jungle behind him. Okoro and the Tigers remain undefeated in Auburn Arena and sweeps the Ole Miss Rebels in their 67-58 victory.
When Auburn played Ole Miss in Oxford, they squeaked it out by just a point. Pressure was on to see how the Tigers would respond after another gritty win against Tennessee on Saturday.
Auburn took the court running, and fast, as they went up by 14 points early in the first half. While they presented an impressive 43% shooting in the first half and 52% in the second half, the winning factor for the Tigers was on the defensive end.
“Isaac coming back helped us tremendously in the defensive end, especially with the guards,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said.
Okoro had two blocks and one assist as well as putting up 10 points. His previous hamstring injury seemed to pose no problem for the freshman. Austin Wiley also showed his physical dominance on the defensive end and in the paint.
Wiley had two blocks and was the foundation for the Tigers shooting 38-18 over the Rebels in the paint.
In theme with several of Auburn's conference games this season, the Tigers managed to foul out star Ole Miss guard Devontae Shuler late in the second half to solidify the win.
In what seems to be a challenge for the Tigers on the road, Auburn looks to continue their physical domination as they play Kentucky in Rupp Arena Saturday, Feb. 29th.
