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A spirit that is not afraid

Auburn bested at the buzzer by Ole Miss

<p>The team reacts during the game between Auburn and Ole Miss at Auburn Arena on Feb 6, 2021; Auburn, AL, USA. Photo via: Shanna Lockwood/AU Athletics</p>

The team reacts during the game between Auburn and Ole Miss at Auburn Arena on Feb 6, 2021; Auburn, AL, USA. Photo via: Shanna Lockwood/AU Athletics

After consecutive losses to No. 2 Baylor and Georgia, Auburn looked to regroup and return to the win column at home against Ole Miss on Saturday. The Tigers were unable to avenge their loss to the Rebels earlier this season and extended their losing streak to three, losing 86-84 in an overtime thriller.

With 13 seconds left in overtime and Auburn down by three, Sharife Cooper's 3-pointer hit the rim and bounced up in the air. Silence fell over the crowd as the ball hovered around the rim before bouncing and falling through the net to tie the game.

Auburn Arena erupted in cheers, which was soon followed by silence when Ole Miss point guard Devontae Shuler knocked down a game-winning jumper as time expired.

“I feel like I could’ve jumped at the end,” Cooper said. “I was just staying in front. I kind of got a reach at it, I didn’t want to foul him, so I tried to get my hands back. But he made a tough shot and just give him credit.”

Ole Miss controlled the opening tip, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers and making some defensive stops to go up 10-4 early on. The Rebels limited Auburn to just four points in the first four minutes, before Cooper got in a groove and scored nine points within a span of 1:53.

He made his first three shots from the field, two of which were from beyond the arc. The freshman assisted on or scored 13 of Auburn’s first 15 points of the game. Cooper did not score again until 2:25 remained in overtime, finishing the game with 15 points and a career-high 14 assists.

The lead was exchanged three times in the first eight minutes, but a Jaylin Williams layup with 12:52 to go in the half gave Auburn the lead. Williams and Devan Cambridge extended the lead to six points by knocking down consecutive 3-pointers, a trend for the Tigers in the first half.

On Saturday, Auburn was 6-of-13 from 3-point range in the first half and shot 50% from the field. Leading the charge from deep was Cooper and Williams, both with two 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes.

Auburn was able to control the glass in the first half, outrebounding Ole Miss 16-11. Dylan Cardwell made his impact known in the first, battling Ole Miss forward Romello White down low. White was Ole Miss’ leading scorer and rebounder on the afternoon, finishing the day with 30 points and 10 rebounds.

Cardwell led the team with five rebounds in the first half, three of which came on the offensive glass. He finished with a career-high 10 points in a career-high 28 minutes in the loss.

“Dylan is one of our most physical players, maybe our most-physical player,” said head coach Bruce Pearl. “That is a big, strong young freshman, and he's going to be a good player. The best is yet to come, but he was out there because of his physicality.” 

The Tigers took a 40-34 lead into halftime.

Auburn opened up the second half on a 7-0 run. Cardwell, Williams and Cambridge all contributed during the run, which extended Auburn's lead to 47-34.

The Tigers finished the day with five players scoring in double digits, including Cardwell, Williams, Cambridge, Cooper and Allen Flanigan. Williams, Cambridge and Flanigan all led the team with 16 points apiece.

With less than 10 minutes to go in regulation, White made a layup for Ole Miss to bring them within single digits. The score initiated a 6-0 Rebel run, which allowed them to climb back into the game. 

The Rebels closed the game on a 14-6 run to tie it at 72 and send it to overtime, where they emerged victorious following Shuler's game-winning basket. 

“There were a couple of plays where we got a good play,” Cooper said. “We didn't execute as well as we could've, so we forced shots up at the end. Just being better down the stretch. I feel like they were just better than us in the second half, and that's why they won.”

Auburn's next contest is in Nashville, Tennessee, where the Tigers face Vanderbilt on Tuesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST with the game airing on SEC Network.

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