AUBURN – The No. 16 Auburn Tigers (17-4, 6-2 SEC) beat the Vanderbilt Commodores (5-15, 0-7 SEC) 81-54 to get back on track after dropping two straight games.
Auburn looked sharp from start to finish, which cannot be said for its last two outings.
What are the biggest takeaways from the game?
Auburn shined on defense
Vanderbilt averages 66.9 points per game. Auburn held the Commodores to 54.
The Tigers have been improving on the defensive end as the season goes along, and Wednesday night showed how much progress they have made.
Auburn had a solid performance from beyond the arc
Auburn shot 10-26 or 38.5% from 3-point range.
The Tigers have been up and down from beyond the arc this season but tend to shoot better at home.
Denver Jones and Jaylin Williams led the way for the Tigers from deep, shooting 4-8 and 3-4, respectively.
Auburn benefited from playing at home
After playing in two hostile environments in a row, Auburn was ready to play in front of its home crowd. The Tigers put on a show.
Williams led all scorers with 21 points, Jones had 19, Johni Broome had 16 and Chad Baker-Mazara had 11.
Auburn will head back on the road this weekend but gained its confidence back ahead of doing so.
Auburn played a complete game
Auburn has played sloppily at times when in the lead but mostly avoided that Wednesday night. Additionally, Auburn started both halves strong.
Auburn started the first half on an 11-2 run and did not let Vanderbilt build momentum out of halftime.
If Auburn can put together more complete performances like this one, it will be in good shape this season.
Denver Jones came to play
The 6-foot-4 guard from New Market had his best performance yet in an Auburn uniform.
Jones' 19 points marked his season-high and he led the way for Auburn from beyond the arc. He also avoided picking up a single foul.
Jones is starting to adjust to the SEC level of play and will make Auburn a better team as he continues to improve.
Auburn returns to action on Saturday when it takes on the Ole Miss Rebels on the road in Oxford at 5 p.m. CT. The television broadcast can be found on SEC Network, and the Auburn Sports Network broadcast can be streamed anywhere on the Auburn Athletics app.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email daniel.locke@1819news.com.
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