The Auburn Tigers will have to wait a little longer to enter the win column in the 2023-2024 season after losing to the Baylor Bears in Sioux Falls, ND, 88-82 on Tuesday.
[autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s squad looked like the better team for the first 35 minutes of this game, leading by as many as 9 points in the opener.
Things fell apart for the Tigers after the under-four media timeout, as No. 17 Baylor ended the game on a 16-5 run to overtake Auburn in the end.
Big 12 preseason freshman of the year Ja’Kobe Walter led the way for Baylor, scoring 28 points on a very efficient 7/13 from the field. The newcomer was also unfazed at the free throw line, converting all 10 of his attempts.
Four other Bears scored in double figures in the win, as RayJ Dennis (15) Jalen Bridges (13), Langston Love (10), and Yves Missi (10) were all major contributors in the win.
Freshmen [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag] led the way for Auburn. The five-star recruit played the second most minutes on the team (26) despite coming off the bench.
Holloway finished his night with a team-high 19 points, 6 assists, and three rebounds. He also turned the ball over 3 times, including twice in the game’s final minutes.
Forward [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] fouled out in the game’s final seconds but was able to record his first double-double of the season in a 16-point, 11-rebound effort.
Starting guard and FIU transfer [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] added 13 points on 4/10 shooting, while Northwest Florida State College (JUCO) transfer [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] was effective in only 12 minutes, gathering two steals and scoring 7 points.
The result is obviously disappointing, especially to start the season, for a team that seemingly had this game in the bag.
Still, it’s important to note this Auburn team has 3 new starters and plenty more new Tigers in [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s rotation this season. Going toe-to-toe with the 17th-ranked team in the nation is a solid start to build on, even if it is disappointing.
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