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A spirit that is not afraid

Trio of Auburn veterans shine as Auburn improves to 4-0

Tensions ran high between Auburn and Texas Southern Friday night as players and assistant coaches jawed at each other throughout the game, but three of Auburn’s most experienced players stepped up to corral Auburn to a 72-56 victory.

Jaylin Williams, K.D. Johnson and Chris Moore combined for 44 points in the win while the rest of Auburn’s offense struggled to find a rhythm. Not only did the trio lead the team in scoring, but their buckets were timely. When Auburn needed a basket, it relied on those three to get it.

Johnson began the game on the bench but entered the game after just two minutes. The Georgia transfer instantly sparked Auburn with some offense, scoring eight consecutive points in four minutes.

"(Johnson) was still intense. He was still aggressive, but he’s under control,” said head coach Bruce Pearl. “He did it with purpose, and he’s been working really hard to do that — letting us coach him. He was obviously really effective out there.”



Though Johnson went on a scoring run by himself, Texas Southern refused to back down and kept the game tight — playing like a fearless team in the first half. Competing in a hostile environment is nothing new for the TSU program. It traveled to Florida and beat the Gators by 15 last season and have already played at Texas Tech in the 2022 season, though it lost by 24.

But that road experience was evident for TSU as it held Auburn to 11-for-31 shooting in the first half, including 3-of-15 from the 3-point line using its physical defense.

Williams called TSU’s Joirdon Karl Nicholas “very physical” and “very hard to box out.”  Nicholas was tabbed as the SWAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and recorded 13 points and 13 rebounds while playing 35 minutes.

“We beat a good team tonight,” Pearl said. “We beat a team that’s got a chance to win the SWAC and be an NCAA Tournament team.”

Pearl said that Williams’ first rotation “wasn’t good,” but the senior responded with some strong play in the last 10 minutes of the first half. Williams knocked down three free throws in the first half and also hit a 3-pointer near the end of the half to bring his first-half total to eight points.



Williams started the game at power forward but also shifted over to center as Morehead State transfer Johni Broome missed the game with a bone bruise. It’s not a role Williams is unfamiliar with, however, as he started over 20 games at center for the Tigers during the 2020-21 season.

Johnson and Williams combined for five made shots in the first half, while the rest of the team only made six. Given the first half offensive struggles, Auburn only led 29-27 at halftime against the preseason pick to win the SWAC.

TSU quickly took the lead in the second half, but then the duo of Williams and Johnson struck again. Williams nailed a three as Auburn retook the lead. A couple minutes later, the two scored seven straight points for Auburn, with Johnson grabbing five of those points at the free-throw line.

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TSU hung around for a little as it was just an eight-point game with a little over seven minutes remaining. Then Moore, who had been mostly quiet with just three points up to that point, exploded in the last seven minutes.

Moore scored 11 points in just under three minutes as Auburn grew its lead to as high as 21 points to clinch the victory.

Moore, who is in his first season starting at Auburn, finished with 14 points as he played at both small forward and power forward. Moore said his second-half performance was a result of him “just being aggressive.”

“Obviously Chris Moore played really well, and you know, he is a team favorite, fan favorite, just because he’s a great kid and worked so hard and has been so unselfish, kind of waiting his turn,” Pearl said. “It’s good to see him play with confidence.”

Auburn improved to 4-0 with the win and faces Bradley in its next matchup. The two teams square off as a part of the Cancun Challenge. The game begins at 5 p.m. CST and will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.


Jacob Waters | Sports Reporter

Jacob is a sophomore from Leeds, Alabama. This is his second year with The Auburn Plainsman. 

Twitter: @JacobWaters_


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