Last Wednesday, the No. 1 ranked Auburn Tigers defeated the LSU Tigers 87-74 in Baton Rouge. The orange and blue move to a perfect 7-0 in conference play after the win, while the purple and gold fall to 1-6.
LSU had a strong start in the first half, as they were aggressive on both sides on the ball. They limited Auburn to 1-9 from the field in the first 10 minutes with their fortitude on defense, as well as throwing down three slam dunks to energize the crowd. However, Auburn would eventually find their rhythm and get to their shots to pace themselves ahead of LSU. It also helped that the defense forced critical fast break turnovers that would eventually lead them to a double-digit lead.
In the second half, Auburn continued to consistently shoot well behind the 3-point line, preventing LSU from making it a close game for most of the second half. However, LSU also shot well from beyond the arc in the second half, and the purple and gold were able to narrow Auburn's lead down to six with just under seven minutes to play. Ultimately, LSU's struggles behind the free-throw line and their continued turnovers played a key factor in their loss, as Auburn used their mistakes to pull away and grab the win on the road.
Overall, the main factors for Auburn’s win were less turnovers, excellent offensive rebounding, and their ability to read LSU’s defense for fast break opportunities. Even though LSU was more efficient with their field goals, their 20 turnovers never gave them a chance to win. It’s also worth noting that the 3-point shooting was much improved from last Saturday’s game against Tennessee. They shot 3-20 beyond the arc against the Volunteers, while they shot 8-25 in this game.
National Player of the Year contender Johni Broome had yet another stellar game, tailing up his 12th double-double of the season with 26 points and 16 rebounds. His physicality showed up once again and has become a consistent factor for Auburn’s success. Miles Kelly, Tahaad Pettiford, and Chad Baker-Mazara were also big contributors to this game, as they combined for 34 points. Even though they weren’t too efficient shooting the 3-ball, they found ways to contribute and score.
On the other side, Cam Carter had an excellent performance, leading the purple and gold with 24 points. He was also the most efficient player on the floor, going 7-9 on field goals. Head coach Bruce Pearl praised his team after the win but knows there is still room for improvement.
“Look, that’s a Quad 1 win, and that’s a great win for our ball club,” said Pearl. “My focus on this week was on getting better, and we’ve still got work to do.”
Auburn will stay on the road on Saturday, where they travel to Oxford to take on the No. 23 ranked Ole Miss Rebels. The Rebels are coming off a 72-69 thriller win last Wednesday against the Texas Longhorns, and they look to pull off the upset Saturday with the help of home-court advantage. The game will tip-off Saturday, Feb. 1, at 1 p.m. CST and will be broadcasted on ESPN.
