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A spirit that is not afraid

Auburn loses in round of 32 to end season against Miami

Jabari Smith (10) pulls up from three during a match between Auburn and Miami in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina, on March 20, 2022.
Jabari Smith (10) pulls up from three during a match between Auburn and Miami in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina, on March 20, 2022.

Auburn’s historic basketball season has come to a close.

In front of over 14,000 fans in the round of 32, Two-seed Auburn dropped its worst game of the year to 10-seed Miami 79-61.

Previous to tonight, Auburn’s worst loss of the season was a six point loss to UConn in the fourth game of the season. That game went to double-overtime.

However, on Sunday, Auburn’s game against the Canes certainly did not need overtime as Auburn was seemingly out of it from the start.

Auburn won the tip and proceeded to turn the ball over on its very first possession, something the Tigers would do 12 more times. 

“We were disrupted,” said head coach Bruce Pearl. “We were getting outplayed. We have not been outplayed like that all year."

In every major statistic expect for rebounding, Auburn was beat.

Miami out-shot the Tigers by almost 20%, stole 10 balls to Auburn’s one and scored 30 fast break points to Auburn’s one. No matter where Auburn shot, it seemed like the hoop had a lid on it. No matter how Auburn defended, it seemed like the Canes were ready for it. 

“They are a very aggressive team,” said Jaylin Williams. “They played a better game than us overall."

In a complete surprise to many, it was Williams who provided the few offensive sparks for Auburn throughout the game. 

Williams, two days removed from a dental procedure after he caught an accidental Walker Kessler elbow to the mouth, posted a tied for team-high 12 points on 5-8 shooting. 

Auburn only hit five deep balls on the night, and two of them were by Williams. The junior also played 18 minutes, much of which was in replacement of a struggling Kessler.

Kessler picked up two early fouls in the first quarter, and was never the same for the rest of the game. 

The sophomore center finished with two total points, by virtue of free throws, and missed every shot he attempted, going 0-6. Kessler also only snagged two total rebounds and had two blocks. 

Kessler was not alone in the poor shooting effort for the Tigers, as his All-American counterpart Jabari Smith had one of his worst shooting nights of the whole year.

Smith went 3-16 from the field, including a 1-8 on three-balls and went 3-6 from the line.

The freshman phenom grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds, and finished with 10 points, good for his seventh double-double of the season. 

“I had some looks that just didn't fall,” Smith said. “They just defended well as a team."

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Auburn won the rebounding battle on the night, 47-39, but it did not matter. Miami outscored the Tigers in the paint 48-28.

Bruce Pearl echoed the same quote multiple times postgame when asked what the Hurricanes were doing to stop his team.

“We got disrupted,” Pearl said. 

Auburn’s supporting cast did not help much by way of scoring.

Wendell Green Jr. shot 4-14 and had 11 points. K.D. Johnson had some acrobatic layups late, shooting 4-10 for 12 points. 

K.D. Johnson (0) gets stripped of the ball in the paint during a match between Auburn and Miami in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina, on March 20, 2022.

Allen Flanigan shot 2-7 and recorded five points and starting point guard Zep Jasper was quiet with four total points on 1-4 shooting.

Most glaringly, it was Smith’s poor shooting, which had supplemented Auburn for so long that really took Auburn out of the game. 

“They’re just very physical in every catch,” Smith said. “They sent somebody at me any time I tried to attack or make a move. They just kept bodies on me. They switched every ball screen. So, just made it kind of tough for me.” 

Smith finished the game with Auburn’s lowest player rating at minus-20. 

Auburn never led in the contest, getting as close as one point down at halftime, 33-32. 

To start the second half, Miami scored eight straight points and the Tigers were out of it as soon as they had got back into it. 

Not even layups fell for Auburn at any point against Miami. The Tigers finished just 11-24 in layup attempts.

Pearl said he and his coaching staff were at a loss on how to combat the Hurricanes.

"We hadn't been hit in the mouth like that all year,” Pearl said. “And then when they hit us in the mouth again...  I should've (changed the lineup). That's on me."

Miami will next face 11-seed Iowa State in The Sweet 16.

Auburn will have to watch that game from home.

It was a season of historic runs and history making. Sunday’s loss will likely be Smith’s final game in college, potentially the same for Kessler, but he said he would not have changed the ride for anything. 

"If I had to make the decision 1000 more times I wouldn't choose anywhere but Auburn," Smith said. 


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