OXFORD, Miss. - The No. 1 Auburn Tigers (20-1, 8-0) picked up another impressive win over the No. 23 Ole Miss Rebels (16-6, 5-4) Saturday afternoon, winning 92-82 behind 14 three-pointers. They finished with a 50-percent clip from beyond the arc, their highest this season.
It was a back-and-forth game of runs in a raucous environment. Auburn took the lead at the 13-minute mark of the first half and weathered Ole Miss runs that had it cut to one multiple times. Though the energy in the building suggested that a Rebel lead was imminent, the Tigers never relinquished their advantage, leading the rest of the way to the buzzer.
“This was our toughest and our best road win so far,” Bruce Pearl said. “I’ve had some good ones, certainly in the league. The difference in this game was that we were able to answer every run they had.”
The Tigers’ 92 points was also their highest output in league play this season. Offensive production came from seemingly everyone who touched the floor for Auburn, as all five starters finished with double-digit scoring nights. National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome led the way with 20, Chad Baker-Mazara had 18, Denver Jones scored 16, Miles Kelly contributed 15 and Dylan Cardwell put up 10.
“Coach says all the time, ‘Not every night is going to be the same guy’s night,’” Auburn center Cardwell said after the game. “That’s the great thing about this team, we’re all happy for it. No one is sad about not playing, no one is sad about not getting the possessions they want, everyone is just happy for each other. We’re a true brotherhood.”
Auburn also continued to show their composure in crunch time, with multiple Tigers hitting free throws to ice the game. Tahaad Pettiford, who is no stranger to late-game free throws, joined with Broome, Kelly and Cardwell to each make their two foul shots in the final minutes. These moments are something coach Bruce Pearl’s team practices tirelessly for.
“I’ve been working hard. BP [Bruce Pearl] knows how hard I’ve been working on my free throws,” Cardwell said. “Everyone said they believed in me. As soon as I got fouled and they called timeout, BP [Bruce Pearl] said ‘You got this.’ Just to see that my head coach believed in me meant the world and I’m so grateful for that.”
It will be a tough one to swallow for the Rebels, who felt as though they were right there with Auburn every step of the way. Something that will certainly stay with head coach Chris Beard and his team was the brutal night they had at the charity stripe. Ole Miss left 11 points on the table, shooting just 24-35 from the line. It was a big storyline throughout, but really showed itself after Jaylen Murray missed one that would have tied the game.
Beard liked his team’s effort, but gave Auburn all the credit, saying they were “just as advertised.”
“To beat a team like this, playing hard just doesn’t get it done,” Beard said postgame. “You have to play well.”
The win at the SJB Pavilion in Oxford adds to Auburn’s fast-expanding resume. With still ten games left to play in the regular season, the Tigers have now picked up 13 quad-one wins, eight wins against ranked opponents and five wins in five on the road during conference play this season.
Opportunities will continue to pile on for the Tigers, as they prepare for a stretch where they face three ranked opponents in the next two weeks. The first test will be back in Neville Arena when Auburn welcomes the Oklahoma Sooners to the plains. That matchup is set for Tuesday night at 8 p.m. CT, with coverage from the SEC Network and the Auburn Sports Network.
