The new-look Auburn men's basketball team opened up the 2016-17 season with a victory against mid-major power North Florida in a 83-66 victory at Auburn Arena on Friday night.
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl earned a win for the first game of his 35th season coaching.
The Tigers and Ospreys were knotted at 19 early in the first half before Auburn caught fire and went on a furious run to create a 16-point halftime lead and a comfortable lead throughout the game. Auburn hit ten three-pointers in the first half.
Sophomore guard Bryce Brown led the way for the Tigers with 17 points, hitting 5 shots from behind the arc.
"I thought Bryce played well," Pearl said. "I thought he responded really well to the start. Defensively, he was really good."
Junior guard T.J. Lang was also hot behind the three-point line, adding 9 points for the Tiger offense.
Newcomers Danjel Purifoy, Jared Harper and Mustapha Heron also added sparks for Pearl throughout the contest.
Purifoy, a redshirt freshman who was academically ineligible last season, led the way for the trio with 14 points. Purifoy was 5-12 from the field, and 2-7 from behind the arc in 32 minutes played for the Tigers tonight.
Freshman point guard Jared Harper earned a start for the Tigers, and scored 10 points with one three-point basket. The 5-foot-10 point guard added two assists and four steals as well.
Highly touted newcomer and Auburn’s first five-star player, Mustapha Heron, scored 10 points in 19 minutes played. The freshman guard cooled off from last week's 26 point exhibition game performance, but was still crucial to Tiger rotation. Heron was 2-7 from the field, 2-3 from behind the arc and 4-5 from the charity stripe.
The young Tiger trio along with freshman guard Aferneee McLemore and graduate transfers Johnson and Laron Smith, combined for 47 points, 19 rebounds and 8 assists on the night.
The Tigers were cruising at the start of the second half, and turned a 19-point halftime lead into a 30-point Auburn lead with 15 minutes left in the contest.
"I thought our defense in the first half was tremendous," Pearl said. "In the second half, we didn't play as well defensively, and I was disappointed with our rebounding, but to hold a team that averages 84 to 66 is good."
North Florida out-rebounded 42-36 — "We're going to have to do some soul searching," Pearl said — but Auburn made up for that by firing up 32 3-pointers. North Florida hit six of its 20 3-point attempts.
Harper and graduate transfer Ronnie Johnson were magnificent on defense, holding last seasons Athletic Sun Conference player of the year, and Osprey point guard, Dallas Moore to just five points.
The 1-0 Tigers return to action on Monday night in Auburn Arena against Georgia State. Tip-off is set 8 p.m. CST.
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