Auburn men’s basketball picked up its fourth win on Tuesday, defeating Alabama A&M 84-54. The Tigers' win over the Bulldogs was propelled by a dominant first half in which the Tigers only gave up 15 points.
The Tigers gained a 12-0 lead roughly five minutes into the game. Aden Holloway started things off for the Tigers, hitting a three in the first minute of the contest which was quickly followed by a three from Jaylin Williams.
Auburn dominated the Bulldogs the rest of the first half, picking up six steals and 26 rebounds. But the real first half difference maker for the Tigers was their lack of turnovers. Auburn only turned the ball over once in the first half and managed 13 assists.
Williams led the Tigers first half performance with 10 points, going 3-for-3 from inside the paint and 1-for-1 from outside. Chaney Johnson followed with eight points, going 4-for-6 from inside.
“Chaney was terrific,” said Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl. “He was terrific all game long. He was physical. He was athletic. He played well defensively. I’m just really so happy for him.”
Johnson, the University of Alabama Huntsville transfer who is in his first season with Auburn, led the Tigers in scoring with 15 points and also managed four rebounds, two steals, and one block.
Auburn’s strong first half was followed by a sloppy second half where the Tigers allowed 39 points from Alabama A&M. The defense struggled in the second half, forcing only four turnovers compared to 10 in the first half.
The Tigers' second half defensive struggles were coupled with an offense who turned the ball over 12 times in the half despite only one first half turnover. Auburn went 8-for-21 (38.1%) from the field in the second half compared to 18-for-34 (52.9%) in the first half. From beyond the arc, the Tigers shot only 18.2% in the second half compared to 30.8% in the first.
“We really haven’t put two halves together yet,” Pearl said. “Great second half against Notre Dame. Great first half against Baylor. Great first half against St. Bonaventure. Great first half here tonight, but we haven’t put two together. So, that’s for me to figure out.”
Auburn’s lackluster second half did not keep it from securing a victory nor did it keep them from commanding the boards. The Tigers outrebounded the Bulldogs 48-27, and combined with their dominant first half performance, the Tigers secured their largest margin of victory this season.
The Tigers were led in scoring by Johnson who finished the game with 15 points and four rebounds and had three other scorers in Holloway, Williams and Johni Broome score double-digit points. Holloway had 13 points with two made 3-pointers, and Auburn outscored Alabama A&M by 39 points with the freshman on the court.
Auburn will face Virginia Tech in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Wednesday, Nov. 29 in Neville Arena. Tipoff is at 8:15 p.m. CST and will be televised on ESPN2.
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Grace Heim is a junior from Enterprise, Alabama, majoring in English Literature. She started with The Plainsman in January 2023.
