Auburn Hangs Tough Early, But No. 4 Vanderbilt Pulls Away in Second Half Surge
For a half, Auburn looked like it might be ready to punch above its weight. But when the third quarter hit, unbeaten Vanderbilt reminded everyone why they’re sitting at No. 4 in the nation.
The Tigers, coming off a pair of gritty SEC wins, clawed back from an early 11-point deficit and trailed by just two early in the third quarter. But then the wheels came off.
Vanderbilt responded with a blistering 18-2 run that blew the game wide open, and Auburn never recovered. Final score: 81-53, Commodores.
Momentum Shift: From Fight to Flat
Auburn (13-7, 2-4 SEC) showed flashes of the team that knocked off Alabama and Florida. In the second quarter, they turned defense into offense, forced turnovers, and got some easy buckets in transition. It looked like they were ready to make it a game.
But the energy that fueled their comeback vanished after halftime.
“We looked scared to play,” head coach Larry Vickers said postgame. “In the second quarter, we made a little run, played with more intensity, but then we came right back out in the third doing the same thing. We've got to be more disciplined than that if you're going to beat a top-five team.”
Vanderbilt (20-0, 6-0 SEC) didn’t just take control-they slammed the door shut. The Commodores shot 50 percent from the field (32-of-64), including a dominant third quarter where they outscored Auburn 27-12. Auburn, meanwhile, finished at 41 percent (22-of-54) and struggled to find answers after their second-quarter spark.
Physicality and Execution: Commodores Dominate the Details
The stat sheet told the story. Vanderbilt owned the glass with a 44-25 rebounding advantage and converted 11-of-13 free throws, capitalizing on nearly every opportunity.
Auburn’s inside game, which had been effective in the second quarter, was neutralized after halftime. The Tigers couldn't get the same looks in the paint, and without those high-percentage chances, the offense sputtered.
“In the second period, we were able to turn them over and made some shots, made some layups,” Vickers said. “We've got to have a desire.
I felt like we had that the last few games. We've got to get that back if we're going to have any more success toward the end of the year.”
Leadership Needed: Team Play a Focus Moving Forward
Vickers emphasized that Auburn’s recent success came when the team played connected basketball-especially on the defensive end. That cohesion was missing against Vanderbilt, and the result was a lopsided second half that got away from them quickly.
“We've got to get to a place where we are being more selfless and not selfish,” Vickers said. “You got to do that defensively.
The games we won we did that. We weren't close to doing that today.”
Bright Spots in a Tough Night
Despite the loss, there were a few individual performances worth noting. Harrissoum Coulibaly led Auburn with 13 points, showing some toughness around the rim.
Kaitlyn Duhon added 11 points and five steals-continuing to be a spark plug on both ends. A’riel Jackson chipped in 10 points and four boards.
But on the other side, Vanderbilt’s stars showed up in a big way. Mikayla Blakes led all scorers with 20 points, while Sacha Washington dominated the paint with 18 points and 12 rebounds-her presence a key reason Auburn couldn’t get anything going inside after halftime.
What’s Next
The Tigers won’t have much time to dwell on this one. They return home to Neville Arena on Sunday to face another ranked opponent in No.
16 Oklahoma. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.
CST and will be broadcast on SEC Network.
If Auburn wants to get back in the win column, they’ll need to rediscover the edge and togetherness that sparked their earlier SEC wins. Because against top-tier competition, anything less simply won’t cut it.