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A spirit that is not afraid

Streaking Tigers send national statement with emotional, electric win over No. 5 Tennessee

“Everybody in the country knows that Tennessee is a Final Four team,” Pearl said. “Everybody in the country now recognizes that Auburn is capable of beating, and in fact did beat, a Final Four team."

<p>Bryce Brown (2) after Auburn Men's Basketball vs. Tennessee on Saturday, March 9, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.&nbsp;</p>

Bryce Brown (2) after Auburn Men's Basketball vs. Tennessee on Saturday, March 9, 2019, in Auburn, Ala. 

By Bryce Brown’s expression, you wouldn’t know Auburn was up just three points on the No. 5 team in the country.

At an Auburn timeout with 1:35 left — Tigers leading 75-72 — the senior guard Brown skipped over to the huddle, grinning ear to ear. He chest-bumped assistant coach Ira Bowman’s baby-blue tweed jacket, then fell dramatically into Anfernee McLemore’s arms. Still smiling.

That was by design. Despite the magnitude of Auburn’s 84-80 victory over the Vols, which was the first top-5 win for the program since 1995 against Arkansas, head coach Bruce Pearl told his team pregame not to get tense.

Bryce Brown (2) and Horace Spencer (0) celebrate after Auburn Men's Basketball vs. Tennessee on Saturday, March 9, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.

“Coach always tells us he doesn’t want us to be worried about making mistakes,” Brown said. “I feel like that’s also why we only had five turnovers.”

Game plan or not, Brown was going to enjoy himself on Senior Day. He was going to jack up triples like he’s done his entire Auburn career. But he wasn’t going to let No. 5 Tennessee escape his last game in Auburn Arena with a share of the SEC regular season title.

That smile soon erupted into an all-out celebration. When the backboard lit up red for the final time inside Auburn Arena this season, Brown un-tucked his jersey and pumped both fists in the air. He sprinted to the Auburn’s student section, jumping on the media table, hundreds of orange and blue shakers pointed his way. He tossed his headband into the crowd.

That was by design, too.

“I planned to do that if we were going to win,” Brown said of his celebration. “That’s something I just planned to do. I just wanted to share the moment with the fans. I wanted to share the moments with my parents. My auntie and my mom were up there, that’s who I went to. It was a great feeling knocking off a top-5 team in may last game, senior night.”

Auburn Basketball downs No. 5 Tennessee


Shot and edited by Cameron Brasher — video editor.


Brown scored 16 points in his last regular season game in an Auburn jersey while sophomore forward Chuma Okeke’s 22 points came a point shy of tying his career-high. Junior point guard Jared Harper added 16, as well, on 5-for-13 shooting after an 0-for-5 start.

"Just knowing that all the time and effort that I put into the gym in the offseason and during the season, just knowing that if I get my chance, I need to take shots,” Harper said of stepping up late despite a cold start. “I'm going to make shots eventually. I have the confidence from my coaches and teammates, so that helps me in the moment."

It was one of Harper’s misses, however, that resulted in a dagger for the Tigers.

With 1:13 left, Harper attacked the middle of the lane with seven seconds left on the shot clock. His runner was swatted by Tennessee’s Grant Williams — an impressive defensive play that would have swung momentum back the Vols’ way, had it not been deflected right to a sitting Tiger.

In the corner closest to the Auburn bench, the blocked shot found Tigers guard Samir Doughty, who took it in stride and buried a triple. The roar of the crowd nearly blew the top off the building, and Auburn went up six points with just over a minute remaining.

Samir Doughty (10) during Auburn Men's Basketball vs. Tennessee on Saturday, March 9, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.

Williams won’t be credited with the assist, though.

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"Umm, I was just trying to make a good play and get to the basket,” Harper said. They came — they came and helped. I thought I was going to be able to get it up above him, but he blocked it. Samir made a big shot like he made — he made two big threes in the second half. That's really big for us."

Two minutes prior, Harper ended a cold stretch of possessions for the Tigers with one of his signature deep 3-pointers — feet at the edge of the AU logo, jogging backward as the shot made it descent to the hoop. 

He hit another on the next possession, only this one was less apparent and carried controversy well past the final buzzer.

From the far corner, Harper rose up, and his shot appeared to bounce around the rim and eventually fall in. However, Tigers center Anfernee McLemore was inches away from the ball, attempting a tip-in. It appeared McLemore made contact. Still, the official threw up both hands to single a 3-pointer.

Jared Harper (1) during Auburn Men's Basketball vs. Tennessee on Saturday, March 9, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said postgame he thought the shot was tipped, which could have spelled an empty possession for Auburn and given some late-game momentum to Tennessee. Instead, Auburn went up six.

Harper seemed surprised when asked about the sequence, as if he thought the play resulted in a two-point basket from McLemore.

"I thought (McLemore) tipped that in, honestly,” a laughing Harper said postgame.

In the second half, Auburn controlled tempo, blending its signature transition offense with looks inside to Okeke, along with slicing attacks from Harper and backup point guard J’Von McCormick.

“Yeah, the tempo was up, and we got rebounds and we ran,” Pearl said. “We’ve got speed and quickness that can get down the floor. It was a top-five win. Again, I’m just reflecting on the program. You have to do the stuff like that if you’re going to consider yourself a top-25 program.

According to Pearl, Auburn was only able to find that success because it stuck to its game plan and weathered the first-half offensive onslaught Tennessee, which shot 55 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes behind 12 points from guard Jordan Bowden.

The Tigers remained patient.

“I think the pace of the first half may have had something to do with the fact we had a little bit more energy in the second half to extend and execute offensively,” Pearl said. “There were times where we didn't call timeout in the first half, when the game was beginning to get away from us. But I liked the tempo. I thought that, maybe, it could have a wearing effect on Tennessee.”

After speculations earlier in the season that the Tigers would fall to a double-digit seed in the NCAA Tournament, Auburn has won six of its last seven, including three straight Quadrant 1 victories over Mississippi State, Alabama and Tennessee.

Bryce Brown (2) after Auburn Men's Basketball vs. Tennessee on Saturday, March 9, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.

Pearl believes the latter victory indicates his team is ready for deep runs in both the SEC and NCAA Tournaments.

“Everybody in the country knows that Tennessee is a Final Four team,” Pearl said. “Everybody in the country now recognizes that Auburn is capable of beating, and in fact did beat, a Final Four team."


Nathan King | Sports Editor

Nathan King, senior in journalism with a minor in business, is The Plainsman's sports editor.


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