Auburn Defeats Oregon 88-77 in Players Era Opener
AUBURN, Ala. – No. 21 Auburn kicked off the inaugural Players Era with an 88-77 victory over Oregon on Monday night, fueled by strong performances from guards Tahaad Pettiford and Johni Broome.The Tigers improved to 5-1 on the season, while oregon fell to 4-2.
The game, a back-and-forth affair featuring 13 lead changes, was tied 37-37 at halftime before Auburn seized control in the second half. Freshman Kaden Magwood’s jumper gave Auburn the lead for good midway through the period, sparking a 10-0 run. Elyjah Freeman capped the run with a steal and layup,extending Auburn’s advantage to nine points with 6:26 remaining.
Pettiford led Auburn with 13 first-half points and finished with 18 total, while Broome played a team-high 36 minutes, scoring 18 points and grabbing six rebounds. He went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Freeman contributed four of Auburn’s 12 steals and shared rebounding honors with Broome, each collecting six boards.
Auburn’s defense proved pivotal, forcing 18 turnovers while committing only six, resulting in a 14-7 advantage in points off turnovers. Kevin Overton sealed the victory with a steal and dunk in the final moments. fillip Jovic added nine points on 4-for-4 shooting with four rebounds in 14 minutes.
“our guys did a better job of being more intentional and aggressive defensively,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl saeid. “We made plays late which was really significant.”
Hall emphasized his commitment to returning to the court, stating, “I wanted to get back out there so (athletic trainer) Clark (Pearson) had me grinding every day.”
Auburn will next face No. 7 Michigan on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. CT on TNT and the Auburn Sports Network. Pearl anticipates a challenging matchup, noting, “It’s going to be a tall task because Michigan has a lot of bigs.” He added, “It was great to play a team like Oregon who has comparable size. It’s going to help us get ready for tomorrow.”
