No. 2 Auburn’s perfect season came to an end in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday night as it suffered an 84-78 loss to No. 9 Duke.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the game:
Evans' first half performance the difference
Isaiah Evans came into the game having made just seven three pointers on the season. He made six in the first half, chipping in 18 first half points while shooting 80% from the field, giving Duke a 43-36 lead at the half.
Evans was held scoreless in the second half, and Auburn cut Duke’s – at one time – 12-point lead down to two. The Blue Devils made just two 3-pointers in the second half. Evans' first half performance was ultimately the difference in the game down the stretch.
Second half Broome, Pettiford, show up, but it’s not enough
Duke – the tallest team in the country – came into the game as the No. 1 team in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom, and it showed up early as the Blue Devils’ defense was smothering Johni Broome down low. He finished the first half just 2-of-9 from the field with five points.
Known for his second half emergence, though, Broome tried his best to will the Tigers back into the game and went for 15 points and nine rebounds, securing yet another double-double. Pettiford, who went for just six in the first half, showed up big in the second half for the Tigers with 14 second half points and two 3-pointers.
Though those two headlined the Tigers’ second half performance, Chad Baker-Mazara and Miles Kelly joined them in double digits with 17 and 14, respectively.
Auburn entered the game as the No. 1 team in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom, shooting a 40.3% clip from the field, which was third in the nation. Duke’s defensive prowess was just too much for the Tigers in this one.
Flagg stardom on display
Cooper Flagg, widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, leads Duke in four major statistics – scoring, assists, rebounds and blocks.
He ended his night as the Blue Devils’ leading scorer with 22 points, adding 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks – all team-highs.
Free Throw discrepancy
Free throws proved to be a big factor in this one for Duke.
The Blue Devils attempted 27 free throws to Auburn’s 12. Duke made 17 of those attempts compared to Auburn’s 10. The Tigers had three players with at least three fouls, one with four, and one that fouled out. Comparatively, Duke had just two players reach foul trouble, one with three and another with four.
In an environment such as Cameron Indoor Stadium, against the ninth-ranked team in the country, fouls must be at a minimum for a chance at a win.
Auburn returns to action on Sunday as it gets back in the friendly combines of Neville Arena against Richmond. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. and can be seen on SECN.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email logan.fowler@1819News.com.
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