BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The No. 2 Auburn Tigers (11-1) topped the No. 16 Purdue Boilermakers (8-4) 87-69 Saturday, adding another quad one win to their already impressive non-conference résumé. Some silly late errors made the final score much closer than the game really was, as the Tigers led by as many as 31.
A home atmosphere traveled about two hours north for the Tigers. “It was like Neville Arena at times,” Head Coach Bruce Pearl said of the crowd at Legacy Arena in Birmingham. Auburn certainly played like they were at home, putting on another exceptional display of basketball.
In his return after an injury that forced him to miss most of the Georgia State game Tuesday, Johni Broome posted a 23-point, 11-rebounf double-double. The All-American center talked about his shoulder after the game.
“It was my decision,” he said when asked if he felt pressured to play. “I know my teammates. They told me all week they got my back. They want me to play with them, but they don’t want me to rush back.”
Auburn’s supporting cast was outstanding today, led by Tahaad Pettiford’s 18 points and five assists and Denver Jones’s 15 points and four assists. The backcourt duo helped lead the Tigers to a 54.5 percentage from the field and 24 assists to only nine turnovers, a developing trend for Auburn this season.
Following their performance, Bruce Pearl pointed attention to Jones’s defense.
“You know, Denver Jones is one of the best defensive guards in the country,” Pearl said. Jones drew the defensive assignment of Boilermakers’ guard Braden Smith, holding him to just eight points and six assists to go along with five turnovers.
Equally impressive defensively was for the Tigers was Chad Baker-Mazara. The 6-foot-7 wing had four steals and two blocks, helping Auburn to 23 points off turnovers. His team-high six assists equaled his turnout from Tuesday. Pearl commented on what it’s like to have a player that can do it all.
“Chad Baker-Mazara is instinctively one of the best players in our league… he impacts the game… The last two games he’s got 12 assists and two turnovers.”
With the win over Purdue, the Tigers grab their sixth quad one win of the season, more than double any other team. Auburn is sixth in the nation in points per game. The offensive metrics are gaudy enough, but when combined with their defense, Auburn has separated themselves from the field. They allow a nation’s best 7.5 assists per game and hold opponents to just 38.9 percent from the field.
For Purdue, Trey Kaufman-Renn continued his excellent season, scoring 15 points on 70 percent shooting along with eight rebounds. Guard C.J. Cox led the boilermakers in scoring with 16, but only three of those came in the first half when the game was within reach.
Thirteen Tigers got minutes for Bruce Pearl tonight, and rest for Auburn’s key pieces will be important moving forward. Following a nine-day break, the Tigers take on Monmouth before conference play starts for the SEC. Eight SEC teams are ranked in this week’s AP poll, and despite the schedule thus far, Auburn’s biggest test will come in conference play.
The Tigers’ next game is against Monmouth at Neville Arena on Dec. 30 at 5:30 p.m. Listen on the Auburn Sports Network or watch on SECN+.
