In the first meeting between the two programs since 2006, No. 22 Auburn basketball cruised to a 93-62 win over Wofford on Tuesday night at Neville Arena to cap off a three-game homestand.
Improving to 3-0 on the season with the win, the Tigers notched their 62nd consecutive win against a non-conference opponent at home,
Here are the biggest takeaways from the game:
Freeman, Hall lead offensive barrage
Although it was the first time in four games – including two preseason exhibition games – Auburn didn’t score at least 95 points, the Tigers once again lit up the scoreboard on Tuesday.
Auburn scored 93 points, which makes this three-game stretch just the second time in program history the Tigers have scored at least 90 points in the first three games of a season.
The Tigers were led by Elyjah Freeman, who set an Auburn career-high with 21 points. He added a pair of steals and five rebounds on a 7 of 12 mark from the field.
Freeman was accompanied by none other than Keyshawn Hall, who tallied 20 points and 11 rebounds. He notched his second double-double in as many games, hitting the double-digit mark in the first five minutes of play. He is averaging a double-double on the season, making him just one of two SEC players to do so, and has scored at least 20 points in all three of the Tigers’ games so far.
Nine of the 11 Tigers that saw action scored. Every Tiger who saw at least 10 minutes of action scored, with three in double digits as Kevin Overton added 13 points.
Stingy defense sets the tone
Auburn had the Terriers in fits for most of the night, defensively, although head coach Steven Pearl still saw room for improvement and showcased his feelings on the sidelines throughout the night.
The Tigers held Wofford to 39% from the field and a whopping 24% on five makes from beyond the arc. Auburn held Wofford to a 2 of 12 start from beyond the arc and forced it into missing its last six shots from the field before halftime, all from three-point land.
Auburn swiped 11 steals and swatted away nine blocked shots.
Tigers’ leader off to cold start
There’s no doubt about it, Hall is the Tigers’ most prolific scorer. But Tahaad Pettiford, the lone scholarship returner from last season’s Final Four squad and perhaps the Tigers’ most talented prospect, is struggling to find his groove throughout the first week of the season.
Pettiford missed his first six shots from the floor and turned the ball over twice. He turned in nine points in the second half, but finished his night 4 of 17 from the floor and was 1 of 7 from deep.
He turned in 11 and 13 points, respectively, in the Tigers’ first two games.
Auburn will need its star point guard to alleviate some pressure off of Hall and others as Auburn’s competition stiffens, and in a hurry.
The Tigers will travel to Birmingham to take on No. 1 Houston on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Legacy Arena.
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