The men's basketball team suffered its 10th loss in the last 11 games Wednesday, Feb. 20, falling to Texas A&M 65-56. The Tigers are now 9-17 on the season and 3-10 in the SEC.
"We're not a very good team right now," said Head Coach Tony Barbee. "I'm not a very good coach with this team. It's just disappointing."
Poor shooting from the Tigers allowed A&M to come back quickly after starting the game on a 12-0 run. Auburn shot 37.5 percent from the field and 26.7 percent in the second half.
"We couldn't make a shot. It's hard to win a game shooting 26 percent," Barbee said. "At the same time, we guarded pretty well in the first half. They shot 56 percent in the second half, though."
Texas A&M guard Elston Turner was too much to handle for the Tigers. The senior's 21 points led the Aggies and helped them overcome an early 12-point deficit.
Throughout the entire game, Auburn had eight players with more than 15 minutes of playing time from 40 substitutions. The Tigers combined for 20 points off the bench.
"Guys aren't playing well; they've got to come out of the game," Barbee said. "If they're not going to defend, they're coming out of the game. If they're not going to dive on the floor for loose balls, they're coming out of the game."
Barbee made a substantial 23 substitutions in the first half, resulting in 12 points off the bench for the Tigers against A&M's six bench points. Eight players scored in the first 20 minutes for Auburn, and none scored more than six points.
The Tigers came out of the locker room hot, going on a 12-0 run in the first six minutes led by early scoring from Allen Payne and Jordan Price. Auburn was able to maintain a lead throughout much of the first half, but lost it near halftime.
For A&M's first visit to Auburn as a member of the SEC, the offense started with a slow 0-13 shooting from the field. They bounced back, led by Turner's 12 points, and closed the half down by two.
The Tigers' downfall has been substantial in conference play heading toward the SEC Tournament in mid March. Their lack of momentum is clearly carrying over into the final five games of the season.
"It starts with the people that have been with coach for three years, the seniors that we have now," said Payne. "We have to take that on ourselves or we're going to stay in this rut."
Auburn has now lost 10 of its last 11 games, a streak that hasn't happened in 19 years on the Plains.
"I'm gonna keep fighting," Barbee said. "That's who I am, and I'm going to find out who will fight with me."
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