Auburn passes first major test, takes down No. 4 Houston

Nov 9, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Auburn Tigers guard Tahaad Pettiford (0) celebrates after making a basket during the second half against the Houston Cougars at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Auburn basketball head coach Bruce Pearl felt that his team would be “exposed” during Saturday’s game with No. 4 Houston, and that is exactly what happened.

However, No. 11 Auburn was exposed in a positive way as they earned a 74-69 win over the Cougars at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

Auburn (2-0) trailed Houston (1-0), 67-66 with less than two minutes remaining in the contest. The Tigers then connected on all six free throw opportunities with a jumper from Chad Baker-Mazara over the final 1:50 to seal the win. Auburn also made seven of its final eight shots from the field to seal the victory.

“That’s a big old win right there,” Pearl said postgame. “That’s Auburn being Auburn.”

The lone shooting category that Auburn had the upper-hand in was field goal percentage, where Auburn edged Houston, 53% to 41%. However, Auburn’s ability to use its entire team made a difference.

Auburn’s bench outscored Houston’s 39-17, and held advantages in blocks and steals defensively. The most notable stat of the game was its assist ratio, where Auburn dominated the category, 14-7.

Two Tigers, Johni Broome and Tahaad Pettiford, reached the 20-point mark in the win. The freshman Pettiford scored 21 points, which was headlined by five made three-pointers. Broome followed Pettiford with 20 points of his own, and was one rebound away from notching another double-double.

“Our guys stepped up,” Pearl said. “Johni was absolutely unstoppable. Tahaad Pettiford stepped up and showed up. Big road win for Auburn. A historic win. We needed this. I was so pleased with our competitiveness.”

Auburn will return to Neville Arena for a two-game home-stand starting Wednesday vs. Kent State before making the trek to Hawaii on Nov. 25 to begin its stay at the Maui Invitational. Auburn…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/auburn-passes-first-major-test-150737607.html

Author : Auburn Wire

Publish date : 2024-11-10 15:07:00

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