After a dynamic season opener, the Auburn Tigers overcame their first official game against the George Mason, 70-52. The Jungle proved to be a fearsome place for George Mason as the fans created an electric game environment.
Wendell Green Jr. had a dominant performance against George Mason, ending the night with 16 points. K.D. Johnson and Johni Broome followed Green’s performance with 12 points each.
However, Auburn’s defense secured its win. Dylan Cardwell had a spectacular performance with a career-high of nine rebounds and five blocked shots. Auburn also recorded 14 steals and outrebounded the Patriots 48-37.
In addition, Chris Moore, the junior out of Arkansas, made his first career start as a Tiger.
“Being a starter for the first time in my career was definitely a milestone, and I just can’t wait to continue, you know, showing everything I got this season,” Moore said.
Head coach Bruce Pearl had a lot of praise for his team after the win, but there were problems he acknowledged the team must fix before Friday's. The Tigers must improve their communication while on defense and maintain an offensive rhythm.
“I’d love to see some communicating defensively. It’s hard to communicate defensively because it is so loud, and then we had some real breakdowns defensively,” Pearl said. “And we didn’t shoot very well off the bounce. It seemed like every time we pad it and pull it. We didn’t make any of those. So, we got to continue to do a better job of finding good threes to take and make.”
Auburn prepares to host the USF Bulls on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. CST. The Tigers and Bulls first competed in 1974. The last time they faced off, Auburn took the narrow 58-52 win at Tampa, Fla. in 2021.
“We were down 25-10 in the first half. We were down at halftime. We were down for most of the game,” Pearl said. “It was a tough matchup for us. South Florida is a really good defensive team. They do a great job defensively. They guard you. They scout you. They take away things that you’re good at, and it was obviously a real struggle.”
Pearl also commented on South Florida’s transfers. He mentioned that the Bulls have added Tyler Harris from Memphis and Keyshawn Bryant from South Carolina, who are talented players that have given the Tigers some trouble in the past. Pearl admitted that this game will not be easy for Auburn.
“It’s a talented roster from the American League, from a good league," Pearl said. "They are a team that we’ve struggled with last year, so we’ll have to play better."
Allen Flanigan, a veteran guard for Auburn, seconded Pearl’s statements about the key changes the team must make before facing South Florida.
“From game one to game two, I would say just knocking down more shots and being more consistent from the three-point range, and then making more shots,” Flanigan said.
The Tigers are still missing their young freshman Chance Westry, who will continue to be on the sidelines following a knee surgery. However, Pearl stated that Westry is close to being fully recovered and back on the court. He announced that Westry was practicing with the team and going “full speed,” but remains non-contact when he is able to participate.
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Caitlyn Griffin is a sophomore from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
Twitter: @caitlyngrif99
