The Auburn Tigers (0-1) gave the No. 20 Baylor Bears a tough battle but were unable to close out the game and ended up losing 88-82.
The first half was tightly contested but Auburn held a 43-34 lead at the half.
Baylor quickly closed the gap early in the second half, but Auburn pulled away again and led by as many as eight points.
The Bears' experience advantage was noticeable late in the game enabling them to ultimately claim victory.
What are the biggest takeaways from the game?
Aden Holloway might be headed to the league this summer
Freshman guard Aden Holloway made his presence known during his Auburn debut.
Holloway led Auburn in scoring with 19 points. He shot 4-8 from 3-point range. He also added three rebounds, six assists and one block.
He did have the second-most turnovers with three, but that will likely be fixed with time.
Auburn fans need to enjoy Holloway while he is on the team because the NBA might come calling at the end of this season.
Auburn struggled to take care of the ball
Auburn committed 15 turnovers. Baylor had the same amount but prevented Auburn from scoring off of them at a more efficient rate.
If Auburn can't take care of the ball, winning games in the SEC is going to be a challenge.
Fouls plagued Auburn
Auburn was called for 32 fouls to Baylor's 22.
Disciplined play will be the difference maker in a lot of games for Auburn this season. Eliminating unnecessary fouls will go a long way toward keeping points off the board for opponents.
3-point shooting will be a strength for Auburn
One element that Auburn has been missing over the past few seasons is consistent 3-point shooting. That appears to have been fixed.
Auburn shot 9-19, 47.4%, from beyond the arch. Holloway led the way, but forward Johni Broome and guard Denver Jones also played a role in what Auburn was able to do from deep.
3-point shooting is a necessity in today's game, and Auburn appears to have that under control.
Auburn failed to close out the game
Auburn blew multiple late-game leads last season. With a lot of young guys on the floor, that might still be an issue this season.
If Auburn wants to be competitive this year, figuring out how to control the last four minutes of a game is crucial.
Auburn will be back in action at home inside Neville Arena against the Southeast Louisiana Lions on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. CT. The broadcast can be found on SEC Network+.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email daniel.locke@1819news.com.
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