NASHVILLE, Tenn. - It's crunch time for Auburn as they look to solidify their spot in the NCAA Tournament. Their path to redemption kicks off in the opening round of the SEC Tournament against Mississippi State, a team that handed them a tough loss back in February.
This matchup is set to be a showdown between two of the SEC’s most prolific scorers: Auburn’s Keyshawn Hall, averaging 20.4 points per game, and Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard, who tops the charts with 22.1.
Hubbard was a force to be reckoned with in their last encounter, dropping a career-high 46 points, including a staggering nine 3-pointers in the first half alone. The Bulldogs took an 18-point lead early in the second half, but Auburn mounted an impressive comeback, outscoring Mississippi State by 25 points and taking a seven-point lead with just four minutes left. However, Hubbard’s 10th 3-pointer sealed the deal for the Bulldogs in a thrilling 91-85 victory.
Auburn’s head coach, Steven Pearl, reflected on the game, saying, “You can’t let someone score 46 points and expect to win. We showed a lot of grit and fight, but we need to manage those final minutes better.”
As they gear up for Wednesday’s rematch, Auburn aims to replicate the defensive intensity they displayed during the first 18 minutes of the second half when they managed to keep Hubbard in check.
In their previous clash, Hall led the Tigers with an impressive 29 points and 10 rebounds, while Tahaad Pettiford contributed 21 points and four assists.
Currently, Auburn is on the bubble, sitting as ESPN’s “Last Team In” on bracket projections. After wrapping up their regular season against Alabama, Coach Pearl highlighted the team’s challenging schedule, which includes a respectable 2-2 record against league champions from major conferences, all on the road.
“We’ve positioned ourselves well, and our resume is strong,” Pearl stated. “We have enough quality wins to be in this tournament, including the best win in college basketball at Florida.”
Auburn, the No. 12 seed with a 16-15 record (7-11 in conference play), will face off against the 13th-seeded Mississippi State (13-18, 5-13) at approximately 2 p.m. CT on the SEC Network, following the Kentucky-LSU opener.
The winner will move on to face fifth-seeded Tennessee on Thursday, with the victor advancing to the quarterfinals against No. 4 Vanderbilt.
Catch all the action with Andy Burcham and Randall Dickey on the Auburn Sports Network.