AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn Tigers capped off their preseason slate with a 102-70 win over the FAU Owls Friday night. Multiple newcomers were key contributors to Auburn’s big scoring night.
The Tigers wasted no time getting the ball to their playmakers. The first points of the game came from a Denver Jones backdoor cut and dunk off of Johni Broome’s assist. Auburn continued to drive downhill, getting to the free-throw line three times in the opening three minutes.
After that, it was all about the newcomers in the middle stages of the opening half. Georgia Tech transfer Miles Kelly, and true freshmen Jahki Howard and Tahaad Pettiford all connected on a three to extend the Tigers’ lead.
“They’re fun to play with, and I bet they’re fun to watch,” Broome said of the newcomers. “They bring excitement to the jungle. They’re game changers with how they guard and their shot-making ability. It’s just fun watching them learn and adapt to the college lifestyle and environment.”
Pettiford continued to impress, hitting another triple and causing an FAU turnover moments later. The freshman then grabbed another steal off of an Owls defensive rebound and took it straight to the rack for the two. He dished out the basketball and took care of it on top of the solid scoring night.
“He had five assists and one turnover, and most of it is just instincts,” said Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl. “It’s hard because he’s playing point, and he’s playing off the ball. It’s a lot to learn.”
Stifling defense from the Tigers held FAU to an 0-11 field goal drought late in the first. Auburn forced five turnovers in the midst of a huge 23-1 scoring run to blow the game open and take a 20-point lead.
Auburn’s offense continued to hum along, finishing the half with 49 points on 51% shooting from the field. The majority of those points came from Auburn’s bench. Pettiford contributed 10, Kelly added eight and Howard had seven to give the Tigers a plus-18 margin in scoring off the bench over the Owls.
The same duo that got the scoring underway in the first half opened the account in the second. In the Tigers’ first two possessions, Broome and Jones both connected for two from the mid-range.
As the half progressed, scoring continued to be no issue. Ja’Heim Hudson saw his first shot drop in Neville Arena after getting on the board with a triple. Auburn matched their total three-pointers made in their exhibition against Furman in just under 11 minutes in the second half.
Everyone got in on the action, as Bruce Pearl’s patented balanced attack was on full display. Ten players finished with over ten minutes of playing time and six finished with double-figures in points.
“I think we’re going to continue to be balanced,” Pearl said. “I think we’ll continue to play a lot of guys, and that’s the MO of our program. I would imagine we’ll have 10 guys with double-digit minutes every game.”
The Tigers looked like a team that is ready for the caliber of non-conference schedule like the one they have, however a tough Vermont team awaits them in the opener.
“We’re going to practice tomorrow before the football game early,” said Pearl. “When we go to Maui, we could play an evening game and then have an afternoon game or morning game. But I thought the guys understood, it’s about Vermont. You know, Vermont is very Yale-like. I don’t want to scare anyone, but they’re very Yale-like.”
The Tigers’ season will officially get underway on Wednesday, Nov. 6, when the Vermont Catamounts come to Neville Arena. The highly-anticipated opener will tip off at 7 p.m. CT and will be covered by the SECN+ and the Auburn Sports Network.
