Auburn basketball opened SEC play by giving LSU its first loss of the season from Auburn Arena on Wednesday. The home Tigers convincingly beat LSU 70-55, solidifying their position at the top of the league.
Walker Kessler was the star of the night, logging 16 points and sitting one rebound short of a triple-double, until a post-game study of the film resulted in a shifting of stats, giving him a 10th rebound. This was only the second triple-double in Auburn men's basketball history.
“I think they changed my stats. I think they took away a block and gave me a rebound,” said Walker Kessler. “That could be a later thing. I’m not sure.”
Auburn led the entire time, beginning with an 18-1 start and offering no reprieve after. LSU held no leads and never recovered to tie the game. The Bayou Bengals posted a 32.5 scoring percentage.
“Our defense was outstanding. It starts and ends with Walker Kessler,” said head coach Bruce Pearl. “Walker just cleans everything up. If there’s a better defender, shot-blocker, rim-protector in the country, I haven’t seen him.”
Jabari Smith Jr. also tallied 16 points, which he says is a credit to Kessler, who builds his confidence throughout the game. The two Georgia natives feed off one another in a way that guarantees parallel success.
“Being able to pressure the ball and knowing that you’ve got the best shot-blocker in the country behind you is just a joy to have, because when you think you’re beat, he’s blocking," Smith said. "He’s helping you, altering the shot."
Although Auburn was not running away with the game at any point, it kept a consistent lead and maintained its composure throughout. The Tigers held on until the end, with their largest lead of the night occurring with 2:29 left in the game.
“Obviously the Jungle and an incredible home-court advantage had a lot to do with our start and a lot to do with LSU struggling early. They settled down,” Pearl said. “We’re up 18-1 and from that point forward, it was an even game.”
Auburn was without Devan Cambridge due to COVID-19, but Allen Flanigan earned his first start of the season and picked up the pace quickly. He played more than double the minutes of his first game and looked as healthy as ever despite the injury.
“Allen played too many minutes tonight. That’s on me, but it’s great to have him back. We need his physicality,” Pearl said.
LSU head coach Will Wade has a go-to eight-man rotation, which forces his players to take more minutes than Bruce Pearl’s eleven. The entire team worked after their three-day break to make the most of detailed scouting reports.
“I think that our coaching staff did a great job with the scout. We understood what LSU was going to do. They’re a very good team,” Kessler said. “We understand that we’re good. We’ve just got to do what we do best.”
Kessler, Flanigan, and Wendell Green Jr. all checked in for 29 minutes apiece, with Smith topping them with 30 and K.D. Johnson just behind with 24. The game was a personal highlight for Smith, whose father is an LSU graduate.
“I’ve been very excited for this game, since they released the SEC schedule, really,” Smith said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better start to SEC play this year.”
Despite classes being out of session, fans arrived in droves, lining each deck and keeping the volume close to 120 decibels for the entire game. Pearl, while not discrediting his team, recognizes that his student body provides an advantage.
“It was a lot of fun. Our fans were electric. They really showed out and it really helped us. It was a blast,” Kessler said.
Auburn’s next game will be against South Carolina but Pearl says his team will focus on learning from tonight before moving on to the Gamecocks.
That game will be Auburn's first of 2022 and on the road in Columbia. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m. CST and the contest will be broadcast on SEC Network.
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Callie Stanford is from Springville, Alabama and is currently a sophomore at Auburn. She has been with The Plainsman since January 2021.
Twitter: @Stanford1Callie
