Chuma Okeke recorded his third straight double-double with 10 points, 20 rebounds, four assists and four blocks while Mustapha Heron added 21 points and Bryce Brown 20 as Auburn finished perfect on its four-game Italian Tour with a 104-58 victory over the Italy All-Stars in the shadows of the Alps on Monday.
Brown was 5-of-9 from 3-point range and added six rebounds and five steals while Heron had five rebounds.
"This was our best effort," said Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl. "I was concerned, fourth game in eight days. We traveled four hours in the bus today after playing late last night. We played a better team from Milan with some good pros, and our guys played terrific. They shared the ball. They played awfully hard, and we got a lot better this week.
"Chuma Okeke was dominant with 20 rebounds, 10 points, four assists and four blocks. Jared Harper had another great floor game with his assist/turnover ratio. We continue to shoot the ball extremely well. We shot it well from the foul line. It was a good effort. It was a good way to leave Italy on a high note."
Malik Dunbar chipped in 15 points on 3-of-4 treys, Desean Murray scored eight points, Danjel Purifoy seven points and seven boards and Anfernee McLemore seven points, six rebounds and three blocks.
Okeke averaged a double-double for Italy with 11.0 points and 12.5 rebounds while Brown averaged a team-high 18.3 points while shooting 47.2 percent (17-of-36) from 3-point range. Heron averaged 14.3 points.
"I just tried to go after everything the other team shot," said Okeke. "It was my goal to get a lot of rebounds because that also helps the team. We bonded well over here and are getting better as a team."
Jared Harper had two points and two steals and dished out seven assists while Davion Mitchell totaled six points, five assists and five steals. Will Macoy notched three points and Samir Doughty two points and five rebounds.
The Tigers scored 30 points in each of the first two quarters, leading by 22 after the opening period on 6-of-8 3-pointers and 60-22 at the half. Auburn was 8-of-13 from 3-point range and made all 14 free throws in the opening 20 minutes.
Auburn jumped out to a 21-8 lead with five treys, three by Brown. A 14-2 run to begin the second quarter put the Tigers ahead 44-10 with five minutes left.
Unselfish basketball reigned as nine Tigers scored in the first half as Auburn had 16 assists on 19 field goals.
Brown scored 20 and 21 points in each of the previous two games to lead the Tigers.
Heron scored 10 straight points to end the third quarter as Auburn led 86-39, outscoring Italy 26-17.
The bench was emptied with 5:10 remaining, and Auburn leading 95-51.
Auburn shot 36-of 71 (.507) from the floor, 12-of-26 (.462) from 3-point range and 20-of-24 (.833) from the foul line. The Tigers had 28 assists on 36 field goals and had 22 steals.
"We had a wonderful experience and educational experience so we are grateful to Auburn for sponsoring us to come over here and represent Auburn University and also getting to know each other and play," Pearl said.
Auburn also defeated Stella Azzurra 87-29 in Rome, BC Silute of Lithuania 87-63 outside of Florence and the Veneto All-Stars 119-54 in Treviso. The Tigers will visit Lake Como on Tuesday and return home Wednesday.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
