Steven Pearl and his squad took the floor at Neville Arena on Tuesday night, hoping to use their matchup with Wofford as a dress rehearsal before the toughest stretch of their non-conference schedule begins Sunday against No. 1 Houston.
The Tigers took full advantage of the opportunity, defeating the Terriers 93-62 as the offense was firing on all cylinders, shooting 50.7% from the field.
“Good to be 3-0. I thought we had some real step up from some of our guys tonight,” Pearl said.
Keyshawn Hall once again had a tremendous scoring game, finishing the night with 20 points on 70% shooting from the field. Over the course of one minute and 47 seconds in the first half, the current SEC leading scorer recorded 11 consecutive points for the Tigers. The UCF transfer is the first Auburn player to record 20 or more points in his first three games on the Plains since KT Harrell.
Keyshawn Hall (7) steals ball from Wofford in Neville Arena on November 11, 2025.
If Auburn is going to put up a fight against the No. 1 team in the country this weekend, Hall will need to have his fingerprints all over the game.
“We’re playing a great team on Sunday, and we’re going to go through some real adversity,” Pearl said. “I need him (Hall) to do those same things when Houston punches us in the mouth because they’re going to. I need him to be consistent in those moments and I’m confident that he will.”
The Tigers did a great job on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 48-27. According to KenPom, Auburn has rebounded 49.6% of its own misses so far this season. While it’s good to see this trend early in the season, Houston will be a strong test in this department.
“It’s good to see improvement in that area,” Pearl said. “But obviously you’ve got to buckle your chinstraps because Houston is a whole different animal. Houston is the best offensive rebounding team in the country. They play with a different level of physicality, energy and intensity that our guys have not been able to experience yet.”
Elyjah Freeman also had a huge scoring night for the Tigers, posting 21 points. The Division II transfer has improved each game and will face a massive test this weekend, going up against the level of competition that the Cougars bring.
Elyjah Freeman (6) shoots a free throw against Wofford in Neville Arena on November 11, 2025.
Tahaad Pettiford once again struggled shooting the ball Tuesday night, finishing 4-for-17 from the field and 1-for-7 from behind the arc. As the lone returnee from last season’s historic team, Pearl holds the sophomore to the highest standard. The Auburn family is hoping the Jersey City, New Jersey, native can turn it on when it matters this weekend — and that this isn’t the beginning of a sophomore slump.
“I don’t care about that. I know his shots are going to fall,” Pearl said of Pettiford’s shooting performance. “What I care about is the attention to detail and effort on defense. “He’s got to be better on the defensive end.”
As a unit, Auburn had a strong defensive performance, holding the Terriers to 62 points on 38.7% shooting from the field. Wofford was shut down in the first half and couldn’t recover. The Southern Conference foe entered the locker room at the break with 22 total points and shot 12.5% from behind the arc in the first 20 minutes.
Sunday marks the start of a 34-day gauntlet for Pearl and his young group. The Tigers will face Houston, Michigan, Arizona and Purdue over that stretch — all currently ranked in the top six of the AP poll. Tipoff for Sunday’s marquee matchup is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CST at Legacy Arena.
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Rory is a sophomore majoring in journalism sports production. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @RorymGarvin
