Last year saw Auburn basketball make a historic run to the Final Four, and the message of continuing to make history has stuck with the team.
Auburn won the Legends Classic on Tuesday, its first regular-season tournament title since 2004.
The Tigers took on undefeated Richmond in the championship at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. No. 18 Auburn came back from a one-point deficit at halftime and secured the win in the second half with a 79-65 win. It was Auburn’s second game in two days; the Tigers took on New Mexico the day prior.
"Our guys came to Auburn to make history," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "We haven't won a regular-season tournament championship since 2004. That's a long time. That was important to our team."
Samir Doughty and Austin Wiley led Auburn in the championship game. Doughty scored a game-high 22 points and Wiley finished with 18.
"We knew we were going to play against great opponents," Doughty said said. "Whether we were playing against Wisconsin, Richmond or New Mexico, we knew it was going to be tough getting wins in here and we were going to be battle-tested. But if we just focus on defending and sharing the ball, I feel like we can beat anybody in the country."
The senior duo got Auburn back into the game in the second half, scoring the Tigers’ first seven points. Wiley had back-to-back inside buckets and then Doughty hit a 3-pointer. Auburn used those points to kick start a 19-6 run.
Wiley not only had 18 points, but he also grabbed eight rebounds. The senior had a double-double the night prior, too, with 14 points and 13 rebounds against New Mexico. For his performance in the tournament, Wiley was named MVP.
"I'm happy for Austin Wiley," Pearl said. "He's healthy for the first time in his career, and you could see how well he moves and how physically dominating he is. You just can't cover him. All you can do is foul on him."
Senior Danjel Purifoy scored in double figures with 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Auburn out-rebounded Richmond 44-34 and turned 18 offensive rebounds into 25 second-chance points.
Freshman Isaac Okoro struggled with foul trouble in the first half and failed to score a single point, but he turned it around in the second half with nine points. His one-handed slam in the second half was the cherry on top for Auburn’s victory as it gave the Tigers a 71-55 lead.
Auburn’s defense held firm against the Spiders and only allowed their guard trio, which came in averaging 54.4 points per game, to 31 combined points. The Tigers held Richmond to 43% shooting from the field and 11% from 3.
Auburn moves to 7-0 and after a week off will face Furman at Auburn Arena on Dec. 5. The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be televised on SEC Network.
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