AUBURN, Ala. - No. 13 Auburn (16-2, 5-0) dominated No. 22 Ole Miss (15-3, 2-3), defeating them 82-59 on Saturday night. With the win and Alabama's loss, the Tigers moved into sole possession of first place in the SEC. While there is still plenty of basketball to be played, the Tigers could not have imagined a better start to SEC play.
Auburn started hot and never looked back. They had their best half-shooting of the season in the first, shooting 66 percent from the field and 60 percent from three-point range. Jaylin Williams led the charge in the half. He scored the first five points of the game and scored ten total points in the half.
Auburn's defense was also strong in the first half, holding an Ole Miss offense that averages nearly 80 points per game to just 27 points. The Rebels top two scorers, Allen Flanigan and Matthew Murrell, were held to only six points in the half.
"I thought particularly the way we guarded and again did a good job of it, especially in the first half, guarding without fouling," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said.
The Tigers led by 19 at the half, but they have struggled in the second half this season. They most recently lost the second half at Vanderbilt. On Saturday night, they broke the trend. Johni Broome immediately went to work, scoring around the basket. He scored nine in the half.
"We were able to still manage to outplay them them in the second half a little bit," Pearl said.
His counterpart, Dylan Cardwell, also had a big half, adding eight points of his own. Cardwell tied his career high of 12 points. A record he set just last game at Vanderbilt. The play from Auburn's big men helped them extend their lead to 35 points with just over eight minutes to play in the game.
Ole Miss would go on a run to cut the lead to 23 by the finish, but Auburn still won the half. Overall, it was another dominating performance. The Tigers are now riding an 11-game winning streak, winning each of the games by at least ten points.
"Coach was really adamant about finishing the second half strong," Cardwell said.
The dominance of the Tigers puts them on top of the SEC with their five wins so far in conference play. Sitting on top in January, however, is not the main goal of this team. Plenty of tough tests await the Tigers, with 13 SEC games still to be played.
"We can run with anyone, and I think if we continue to do that well, we'll have continued success," Auburn guard Lior Berman said.
A challenging week awaits Auburn. It starts with a trip to Tuscaloosa on Wednesday night. Alabama was tied with Auburn at the top of the SEC entering Saturday but lost on the road against Tennessee. With a win Wednesday, though, the Tide could leapfrog back above Auburn. After that, Auburn travels to Starkville to finish off the week.
"Our mind is set; we know where we gotta go on Wednesday," Pearl said. "We understand what an unbelievably tough cover Alabama is."
Will the Tigers still be on top of the SEC this time next Saturday? That is to be determined, but right now, the vibes are good on the plains.
"We're playing well," Pearl said. "Now, just can we keep playing as well as competition increases?"
Auburn's game at Alabama will tip at 6:30 on ESPN and the Auburn Sports Network.
