Tag: 2022 March Madeness

Studs and Duds from Auburn’s loss to Miami on Sunday

Auburn’s unprecedented season comes to an end at the hands of the Hurricanes.

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.

Three stars from Auburn’s dominant first-round win

A look back at the game and who stood out.

Auburn didn’t intend to relive past mistakes on Friday. The Tigers defeated Jacksonville State 80-61 to advance to the next round of the NCAA Tournament where they’ll play either Miami or USC.

First Half Thoughts

For a little bit, it seemed as history would repeat itself.

Auburn started on a 5-0 run, but. Jacksonville State came back with a 8-0 run of its own. The Gamecocks lead for a good portion of the first half and at one point was dominating the three-ball by outshooting Auburn 22 percent from beyond the arc, but the Tigers managed to adjust and closed it out with an 11-0 run to end the first half up 39-27.

Auburn seemed to have fixed its shooting woes at the end of the first half, finishing 53.6 percent from the field and 50 percent from three. The Tigers also did a much better job getting rebounds on both sides of the ball, out-rebounding the Gamecocks 32-22.

Second Half Thoughts

Auburn wasn’t done once the second half started, though.

The Tigers went on a staggering 18-0 run to open up the second half, racking up even more points to add to the lead. Jacksonville State’s initial burst of aggression was quickly silenced by Auburn’s superior physicality and the Gamecocks’ own lack of length, and things were generally procedural for the Tigers until the buzzer when the Tigers’ 19-point victory was etched in stone.

Auburn finished a strong 44 percent from the floor and 37 percent from beyond the arc. The Tigers absolutely dominated on the defensive side of the ball, out-rebounding JSU 50-32 and blocking 10 shots to the Gamecocks’ one.

Next, we look at the three stars from the game. 

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