Auburn (1-0) held its first home game against Jacksonville State (0-1) Monday night and started off its season with a 29-point victory. Next, the Tigers have two upcoming games – one against Louisiana and one against Rutgers.
Against Jacksonville State, Auburn’s defense capitalized and scored a total of 24 points off turnovers. Despite the Tigers' hard efforts, Jacksonville State secured nine points off turnovers.
Auburn's offense dropped off in the second and third quarter slightly as the Tigers failed to hit a 3-pointer over the two quarter. However, Auburn's defense stepped up after allowing 20 points in the fist quarter by only surrendering six points in the second quarter and nine points in the third quarter.
A strong fourth quarter in which the Tigers outscored the Gamecocks by nine solidified a dominant win in the season opener.
On Thursday, the Tigers are back at home as they face Louisiana (1-0), who came out of the gate strong with a 75-45 win against Spring Hill College (0-1) on Nov. 6.
Louisiana’s offense struggled throughout the game, however, its fast speed of play gave Louisiana an advantage on turnovers and rebounds. The Ragin’ Cajuns scored 20 of their 75 points on turnovers and added 15 more points on second chance points.
The Ragin’ Cajuns tapped into their depth within their roster and totaled 39 points off the bench. Louisiana’s ability to be well-rounded will prove to be a problem for its future competitors.
Louisiana outscored Spring Hill 42-14 in points in the paint. Despite Spring Hill's 77& free-throw shooting, it was not enough to take the lead and fell to Louisiana by 30.
On Sunday, Auburn travels to New Jersey to face Rutgers (1-0). Opening day was successful for Rutgers as it won its first home game of the season – battling Monmouth (0-1) on Nov. 6 to a 56-51 victory.
Monmouth took advantage of the depth in its roster and scored 21 points off the bench. However, Monmouth's offense could not capitalize on enough opportunities and went 4-for-24 on 3-point shots.
The Hawks shot 81% from the free-throw line, going 17-for-21by the final. However, Rutgers luck would not prove to be the same. Rutgers went 16-for-29 on free throws, an average of 55.2%.
Rutgers continued to battle on both ends of the court. Rutgers scored 12 points off rebounds, helping to extend its lead. Its impactful first quarter gave Rutgers an eight-point lead that allowed the Scarlet Knights to ride to victory.
As Auburn and Louisiana prepare to battle each other, Rutgers will face off against Wagner attempting to protect its home once again on Thursday.
The Tigers will play Louisiana on Nov. 9, at Neville Arena at 7 p.m. CST on SECN+. They will then travel to Piscataway, New Jersey, on Nov. 12, to battle Rutgers at 4 p.m. CST on Big Ten Network.
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Caroline Roberts is a freshman from Athens, Alabama, majoring in sports production and broadcasting. She joined The Plainsman in Fall 2023.
