AUBURN, Ala. — The Auburn Tigers made their season debut on the Plains with a 92-59 victory over the Southeastern Louisiana Lions. The Tigers extended their nation-leading nonconference home winning streak to 68 games. For the third season in a row, the Tigers started the season with a 90-point win over their opponent.
The night started slowly for the Tigers after they claimed the first two baskets, then the Lions followed closely for most of the first half. Junior guard Tahaad Pettiford contributed to this slow start as he was not able to sink a shot until the 12-minute mark of the first half.
Despite the slow start, the Tigers stayed alive on defense all night with 11 total blocks and 50 rebounds. The Tigers' offense picked up after Pettiford’s first basket, as he finished with a game-high 18 points.
Four other Tigers scored in the double figures. Starters Kevin Overton and Narcisse Ngoy scored 12 and 10 points, respectively, followed by Kolby King with 12 points and George Kimble III, coming off the bench, with 10 points.
Auburn had a 14-point lead with less than a minute left in the first half, hoping to hold the Lions until halftime. With just over two seconds left, King grabbed a rebound off the Lions' basket and sent the ball to Pettiford, who sank a 50-foot, half-court buzzer-beater to give Auburn a 17-point lead at halftime, 42-25.
After halftime, the Tigers continued to widen their lead, fueled by the momentum from Pettiford's half-court shot.
The duo of 7-footers, Ngoy and Bukky Oboye, showed off their combined offensive and defensive skills on the court tonight. Oboye led the team with five blocks, and Ngoy was close behind with two. Ngoy led the duo in points with 10, Oboye added four, and they combined for 12 rebounds.
Midway through the second half, the Tigers went on a 12-point run, shutting down the Lions even further with a dunk from Ngoy and a 3-pointer from forward Owen Freeman to take a 29-point lead.
Freshman guard Caleb Williams started off his Auburn career with three steals, three assists, seven points, and a pair of rebounds.
Fifth-year transfer King led the team in rebounds tonight with seven—one of which he followed with an assist to Pettiford to extend the lead before halftime. King was also among the top five scorers for the Tigers tonight, with 12 points, shooting 3-of-4 from the field and 2-of-3 from the 3-point range.
Auburn’s defense, Pettiford’s half-court shot, and 25 fouls from the Lions helped the Tigers hold off the Lions in their season opener at home.
The Tigers hope to continue their nonconference win streak on the Plains with a matchup in Neville Arena against the Appalachian State Mountaineers on Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. CST for Military Appreciation Night.
