On Sunday, the Tigers ended their season by losing to No. 10 seed Miami in the NCAA Tournament by a score of 79-61.
First Half Thoughts
Auburn couldn’t get any sort of rhythm in the first half. Tigers big man Walker Kessler got two fouls early and didn’t play for the majority of the first half. In fact, he played just the first four minutes. Jabari Smith shot an uncommon 20% from the field in the first half. The only highlight of the first half was the play of Jaylin Williams who scored 10 points with six of those points coming from beyond the arc. Although it was very picturesque, the Tigers would finish the half down by just one point 33-32.
Second Half Thoughts
The second-half display was even worse than the first half for the Plainsmen. The combination of Kessler and Smith shot just 1-11 in the second half. Neither Wendell Green Jr. nor K.D. Johnson could get anything going either. The Miami guard trio of Charlie Moore, Kameron McGusty, and Isaiah Wong would finish the game with a combined 56 points clicking on 22 of the 44 shots that they attempted. The transition points and turnovers ultimately relinquished the Tigers from any chances of advancing to the Sweet 16. In the end, Auburn was beat in virtually every category and it definitely showed in the final minutes of their unprecedented run this season.
From tonight’s matchup, we break down the studs and duds of the game for the Tigers.