Despite an inspiring comeback effort by the Tigers, Auburn was unable to overcome a 15-point deficit and lost to the Vanderbilt Commodores 76-84. This is Auburn’s third straight loss, and third straight SEC loss, which doesn’t bode well for seeding in the upcoming SEC tournament.
The Tigers were immediately caught on their heels as Tyler Nickel immediately made a three-pointer in the first minute of the game. From that point on, Auburn was fighting an uphill battle and couldn’t get more than a one-point lead. The rest of the first half was rough, with the Tigers only making nine field goals compared to Vanderbilt’s 16.
“I thought Vanderbilt came out, and you know that’s the second game in a row where we had a defensive breakdown on the first possession, and they make a three,” Auburn head coach Steven Pearl said. “And you know that just that does wonders for your confidence, when you're able to come out and hit your first shot like that.”
The team as a whole struggled tonight, going 40% from the field and 78% from the free-throw line. There were also two technical fouls and one Flagrant 1 foul on the Tigers, raising tensions and creating foul trouble. The only Auburn player to have a positive plus-minus was Elyjah Freeman, who contributed five points, eight rebounds, and one steal in 28 minutes.
“He's coachable, plays hard, does all the little things that we ask him,” said Pearl of Freeman’s work ethic and increased minutes. “ And I know he has so much more to offer offensively that I'm really excited to be able to tap into at some point. But he's just a good teammate, he's been patient, he's waited his turn, and I love that he was able to play more tonight and be effective.”
Despite the unfortunate outcome, Auburn fought back admirably in the last eight minutes of the game, at one point cutting the lead to four points in the final minutes. The Tigers were led by Tahaad Pettiford tonight with 21 points. All five of Auburn’s starters were in double digits tonight. Keyshawn Hall contributed 13, KeShawn Murphy added another 12, Sebastian-Williams Adams offered up 11, and Kevin Overton went 50% from beyond the arc and added 10.
This loss drops the Tigers to 14-10 for the season, and 5-6 in SEC play. This win would have lifted spirits after a home loss to Alabama this past Saturday. Pearl acknowledged the team’s shortcomings compared to fan expectations and takes full responsibility for the team’s struggles so far this year.
“I continue to thank our fans for hanging in there with this team as we're trying to work through some things,” said Pearl. “They did their part, and we didn't do ours. So, for that I apologize. I gotta do a better job as their coach in these situations.”
The Tigers are hoping to bounce back against the No. 21 Arkansas Razorbacks this Saturday in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Tipoff is at 7:30 pm CST, and the game will be available to stream on ESPN.
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Jackie is a senior majoring in Psychology. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2024.
You can follow her on X (Twitter) at @jackie_domingun
