The No. 1 ranked Auburn Tigers faced off in an SEC showdown against the No. 6 ranked Florida Gators on Saturday in Neville Arena. The Tigers lose their first game in two months, 90-81.
The Tigers started the game out strong, winning the tipoff and swinging momentum deep into their favor. Auburn scored 12 points to Florida’s five, off 56% shooting overall, 33% from three, and a four-point play from Chad Baker-Mazara, forcing the Gators to call a timeout. The Tigers' defense was on point as well, with two blocks in the first 5 minutes of play as well.
Despite Auburn's early surge, Florida found their rhythm and gradually closed the gap. The Gators capitalized on second-chance opportunities and efficient shooting to gain control of the game. The Tigers were led by Miles Kelly with 12 points, while Johni Broome contributed six points and four assists.
On the other side, the Gators were fueled by Walter Clayton Jr., who led all scorers with 16 points, followed by Thomas Haugh with 10. Statistically, Florida led Auburn in overall shooting percentage, three-point percentage, free-throw percentage, and rebounds in the first half.
The first half concluded with the Gators up by 10 points (48-38) in what had been a back-and-forth contest. Florida's ability to string together key runs gave them the momentum heading into the break.
Auburn struggled to adjust in the second half, as their shooting percentages remained low and their perimeter defense continued to be an issue. Though the scoring in the second half was evenly matched, Florida's ability to maintain their lead was bolstered by critical offensive rebounds that led to second-chance points. Auburn did manage to win the rebounding battle in the second half (28-21), but it was not enough to overcome their struggles on both ends of the floor.
Johni Broome led Auburn in the final 20 minutes with 12 points and eight rebounds, while Miles Kelly added 10 more points to his total. The Gators saw strong contributions from Alex Condon, who scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds in the second half.
Ultimately, the Tigers fell short, losing the game 90-81 in a hard-fought battle. This is Auburn's first loss in two months. The last loss took place on December 4th, when they fell to Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. This loss drops Auburn’s overall record to 21-2 and their conference record to 9-1. Despite the setback, the Tigers remain one of the top teams in the country and will look to rebound quickly.
From here, Auburn's schedule doesn't get any easier. With dominant teams like Alabama (twice), Kentucky and Texas A&M, the push to remain one of the top teams in the country increases in difficulty. The next battle for the Tigers will take place on February 11th, in Nashville, as they take on the Vanderbilt Commodores, who previously beat Kentucky and Tennessee at home.
