The Auburn Tigers improved to a perfect 2-0 on the young season on Saturday Night, taking down the No. 4 ranked Houston Cougars 74-69 in the Toyota Center.
In a game that featured two of the best defenses in college basketball, it was no surprise the first 30 or so minutes were a grueling slug fest on Saturday. Beyond. Houston’s tenacious defense caused Auburn’s offense an adundance of problems throughout the night, but massive and timely shots from Johni Broome (20 points) and freshman Tahaad Pettiford (21 points) were enough to help the Tigers take a late lead, eventually turning into a victory.
Pettiford specifically was phenomenal throughout the evening. The Jersey City, NJ native made 7 of his 12 shot attempts, including 5 3-point field goals. Along with Pettiford, the aforementioned Johni Broome was his dominant self with a 20-point, 9-rebound, 5-block performance, while Chaney Johnson provided an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double in 31 minutes off the bench.
The win proved the Tigers can play with the best teams in the nation, and provides plenty of momentum for a team set to compete in the Maui Invitational at the end of November. For now, Auburn will need to prepare for a Wednesday night showdown with a formidable foe from the MAC in Kent State. Ahead of Auburn’s next game, relive some of the key moments from Auburn’s 73-69 win over Houston on Saturday.