It was an action-packed week for Auburn as they came back from Brooklyn as the winners of the Legends Classic and defeated Alabama A&M. The Tigers are unranked, but sit at 4-1 going into the new week. Here’s a look back at their previous wins.
Auburn 83, Notre Dame 59
Auburn made an early statement in the Big Apple, handing Notre Dame a 24-point loss in the semifinal game of the Legends Classic. The duo of Aden Holloway and Johni Broome were the leading scorers yet again. Both players finished with 15 points. Jaylin Williams, Chris Moore, and Tre Donaldson also finished with double digits. Head coach Bruce Pearl was pleased with his team’s performance, especially in the second half.
“I think the guys are definitely locked in. We did what we were supposed to do tonight. We played great second half defense. It’s a good win for our league.” Auburn outscored the Irish 44-26 in the second half and also forced 13 turnovers. The bench also had 30 points, which really shows the depth they have this year.
Auburn 77, St. Bonaventure 60
Auburn secured their second Legends Classic title by defeating St Bonaventure in the championship. The Tigers were just too good for the Bonnies, outscoring them by a total of 41 points during the game. Johni Broome yet again was the leader with 18 points and five rebounds. Broome would end up winning tournament MVP, averaging 16.5 points and 5.5 rebounds throughout both games. Both of Auburn wins were built on big runs during the first half. Auburn would use a 13-3 run to take a twenty point lead at halftime finished off by a Sportscaster Top 10 dunk by Jaylin Williams.
Auburn’s two wins at the Legends Classic makes them 6-0 all time in Brooklyn. The Tigers finished with 48 points off of their 29 turnovers. Auburn assisted on 20-of-25 field goals against St. Bonaventure. For the season, the Tigers are averaging 20.0 assists per game and have assisted on 70.8 percent of their field goals.
Auburn 84, Alabama A&M 54
Auburn defeated Alabama A&M pretty comfortably, but the main talking point was the difference between the first and second half play. In the first half, Auburn was dominant, taking a 49-15 lead into the break. In the second half, Auburn gave up over 50 points, which did not please Coach Pearl one bit.
“We haven’t put two halves together yet,” Pearl said. “Great first half tonight, but we haven’t put two together. That’s for me to figure out. I’m disappointed. That first-half team can win some games. That second-half team couldn’t win an SEC game.”
Transfer Chaney Johnson was one of the standout, leading the team with 15 points. Aden Holloway and Jaylin Williams also finished with double-digits.
Looking Ahead
Auburn is on Thanksgiving Break until November 29th when they face Virginia Tech at home in the ACC/SEC Challenge. Tip-off for that game is at 8:15 PM CT with coverage on ESPN2. The Tigers will then travel to face Appalachian State on December 3rd at 12:00 PM CT. Coverage of that game will be on ESPN2 as well.
