No. 12 seed Auburn imploded down the stretch of Thursday’s SEC Tournament contest against No. 5 Tennessee, allowing the Volunteers to close the game on a 31-11 run en route to a 72-62 victory, ending the Tigers’ hopes of solidifying themselves as an NCAA Tournament squad.
The loss marks Auburn’s second consecutive loss to the Vols in the SEC Tournament.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the game:
Auburn builds a lead after strong first half
Auburn fought like a team trying to etch its way into the Field of 68 in the first half.
It was not the best shooting half for Auburn, as it shot just 38% from the floor behind Tahaad Pettiford's 16 points in the half. But the Tigers played feisty defense, holding Tennessee to 25 points – its second-lowest first-half point total of the season – on 37% shooting from the floor.
Additionally, Auburn ended the half plus-6 on the boards with a 7-4 edge on the offensive glass – this coming against the best offensive rebounding team in the nation. It ended the first 20 minutes with a 10-2 edge in second-chance points.
Again, it wasn’t a pretty display of basketball, but it was enough to hold a 32-25 advantage against one of the most physical squads in the league.
Tigers implode midway through second stanza
Nearing the midway point of the second half, Auburn built its lead up to 10.
It was never able to establish a big run, but stuck to playing a physical brand of basketball to give itself a chance as the “4th quarter” began.
Then, the Tigers imploded.
Beginning at the 10:13 mark, Tennessee’s Nate Ament ignited a 20-0 run, which Auburn finally snapped at the 3:56 mark, by scoring the first 10 himself for a 20-point swing in favor of the Vols.
Auburn turned the ball over seven times in the second half, with five of them coming during the implosion.
Typically dependent upon a strong second half from the floor, Auburn shot just 32% during the final 20 minutes and missed five free throws, as Tennessee outscored the Tigers 47-30 in the half.
Ament tallied 17 of his 27 points in the second half with a 9-of-13 clip from the charity stripe as Tennessee closed the game on a 31-11 run.
Pettiford's scoring efforts not enough
“Tourney Tahaad” was on full display on Thursday against the Vols, scoring a game-high 28 points with five triples and a 5-of-6 mark from the free throw line in 36 minutes.
But it was not enough on a night when Auburn shot just 35% from the floor, making only 21 baskets.
Keyshawn Hall was the only other Tiger in double figures, but he was 4-of-14 from the floor and just 1-of-6 from deep.
What’s next?
Moments after the game, ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi released his latest update with Auburn slotted in the same category as it was entering the contest: “First Four Out.”
Had the Tigers been able to hold on to their double-digit lead and squeeze out a win, it would have all but solidified them for an at-large bid into the Big Dance.
With Miami-Ohio losing in the MAC Tournament, the winner of that tournament will receive an automatic bid, seemingly stealing a spot from a bubble team (like Auburn).
Now, Auburn’s fate resides in the hands of others.
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