AUBURN – The No. 25 Auburn Tigers (11-2) picked up their sixth straight win Tuesday night at home inside Neville Arena.
Auburn closed out the non-conference portion of its schedule with an 88-68 win over the Penn Quakers (8-7).
Auburn never trailed in this game, but Penn was able to go on a few runs and make it a closer game than the scoreboard implied.
What are the biggest takeaways from the game?
Auburn started hot from 3-point range but cooled off in the second half
Auburn shot 10-19 or 52.6% from 3-point range in the first half. By the end of the game, however, the Tigers were 12-35 or 34.3% from beyond the arch.
This was not Auburn's worst performance from deep this season, but it was not its best either.
Johni Broome led Auburn in 3-point shooting, going 3-4. Tre Donaldson and Jaylin Williams were the only other Tigers to hit multiple 3-pointers, both going 2-5. Chad Baker-Mazara, Aden Holloway and KD Johnson were the only other Tigers to hit a 3-pointer.
Auburn got off to a slow start in the second half
Auburn led 51-32 at halftime, but Penn had cut the deficit to nine five minutes into the second half. The Tigers only outscored the Quakers by one point in the second half.
Auburn needs to figure out how to get started quicker in the second half, or it could be in trouble when conference play begins later this week.
Johni Broome continues to dominate
The 6-foot-10 junior forward has been an asset for Auburn this season and this game was more of the same.
Broome led the Tigers in scoring with 24 points and in rebounds with 12. He also added two assists, three blocks and one steal.
Broome also shot 9-10 from the field and 3-4 at the free-throw line. This was one of the Plant City, Florida native's most dominant performances of the season.
Auburn's depth shined once again
Auburn had four players score in double-figures. Additionally, the Tigers had 39 points come off the bench.
Baker-Mazara was the team's leading bench scorer, totaling 16 points.
Auburn has one of the deepest college basketball rotations, which will be an asset as conference play begins.
Auburn returns to action on Saturday when it takes on the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. CT, and the broadcast can be found on ESPN 2.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email daniel.locke@1819news.com.
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