NASHVILLE – The No. 12 Auburn Tigers (No. 4 seed) beat the No. 6 seed Florida Gators 86-67 in the SEC Tournament Championship game at Bridgestone Arena this afternoon.
The Tigers got out in front early, but the Gators made it a competitive game in the second half, even making it a one-point game. Auburn immediately went on a big run which gave it momentum, and it never took its foot off the gas.
What are the main takeaways from the game?
Both teams focused on getting the ball inside
Neither team had a particularly good day from 3-point range, so getting the ball inside the paint was a priority for both sides.
Auburn had 44 points inside the paint, and Florida had 42.
Being able to score from anywhere is a skill that most teams need to make a run in the NCAA Tournament. Auburn appears to have that skill.
Auburn struggled to rebound again
For the second game in a row, the Tigers had a difficult time grabbing rebounds.
Both teams had 39 rebounds, but Florida had a 13-6 advantage on the offensive side, but Auburn had a 33-26 advantage on the defensive side.
Second-chance points were a factor as well.
Fouls plagued Auburn
The Tigers struggled to stay out of foul trouble.
With 15 minutes left in the game, Chad Baker-Mazara, Chaney Johnson and Jaylin Williams each had three fouls.
Florida was capitalizing on these fouls as well, shooting 18-25 from the free-throw line. The Gators were also in the bonus at the 13:05 mark of the second half.
Auburn will need to avoid a fouling performance like that in its NCAA Tournament games or that could be the thing that sends it home.
Auburn shared the load offensively
The Tigers once again had a lot of contributors on the offensive end.
Johni Broome led Auburn in scoring with 19 points, but two other Tigers posted double figures, and six others scored more than five points.
Depth has been one of Auburn's biggest strengths this season, and that was proven to be true once again today.
Auburn had a major crowd advantage
Despite it being a neutral site game, Auburn felt right at home thanks to a big presence from the Tiger faithful.
It sounded like Auburn was playing at Neville Arena and its play was elevated as a result of that.
Auburn will find out its region, seeding and first round opponent in the NCAA Tournament during the Selection Show on ESPN at 5 p.m. CT.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email daniel.locke@1819news.com.
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