Despite uncharacteristic turnovers and poor shooting from behind the arc, No. 1 Auburn escapes a close one against Arkansas in Neville Arena.
The Tigers are a team that are known for turning the ball over very little, being 3rd in the nation in total team turnovers. They proved this in their matchup against Alabama last weekend, turning the ball over only four times, marking that as their season low.
In just under 11 minutes of play in this matchup, the Tigers had already matched their total from Saturday’s game with sloppy play on both sides of the court resulting in these turnovers. The below-standard ball handling resulted in a first half that saw Auburn trailing with under six minutes to play in the first half with a small lead at the break.
"Our offense left a lot to be desired tonight. Our execution wasn't very good," said Pearl.
As unconventional as the turnovers committed were, the most shocking statistic of this game was Auburn’s 16.7% 3-point percentage. For a team that has built their name and play style off of their ability to shoot from deep, this game saw very little action from Auburn’s shooters. The Tigers’ have four players shooting over 40% from behind the arc with supporting roles from Chaney Johnson and Johni Broome when called upon.
"I don't think our shot selection was great when you only have 11 assists and 12 turnovers," Pearl said.
With Arkansas taking a late lead with 3:07 left in the game, it seemed as though an upset might be brewing in Neville Arena. However, the Tigers immediately responded with a 6-0 run that left the Razorbacks in a hole they were unable to crawl out of. With four late free throws from Chad Baker-Mazara and Denver Jones, the Tigers sealed the win in anything but pretty fashion.
Auburn was able to overcome their offensive shortcomings on the defensive side of the ball, out-rebounding Arkansas by 13 while locking down the perimeter, holding the Razorbacks to a 15.8% 3-point percentage.
"Our guys competed. They did not let the fact that we weren't making shots and playing well offensively affect their defense," said Pearl.
While this was not a pretty win by any means, this was Auburn’s 15th Quad-1 win of the season which ties the all-time national record that Kansas achieved in the 2022-2023 season. Expect Auburn’s ball-handling and shooting to bounce back as Auburn searches for their record setting 16th Q1 win on Saturday as Georgia comes to Neville for the team’s season rematch.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
