Well, what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas, especially when you drop a nationally televised game. The No. 21 Auburn Tigers made sure they weren’t the ones leaving Sin City with their tails between their legs, securing a solid 84-73 victory over a scrappy Oregon Ducks squad in the Players Era Festival.
While the Tigers didn’t quite hit their usual blistering scoring average of over 93 points, they did more than enough to get the job done, improving to 5-1 on this young season. Let’s be real, holding off a team that got a decent number of Top 25 votes is nothing to sneeze at, especially when you force them into 18 turnovers. That’s just good, old-fashioned, disruptive basketball.
Pettiford Puts On a Show
If you were looking for the star of the night, look no further than Tahaad Pettiford. He was electric, dropping a season-high 24 points before unfortunately fouling out late in the game. He was aggressive from the jump, looking like he owned the court and serving as Auburn’s offensive heartbeat all night long.
Pettiford got into some foul trouble, which had Auburn fans holding their breath, but Steven Pearl played it cool, even leaving him in with four fouls. The gamble paid off. Right after that fourth foul call, Pettiford calmly drained a jumper, basically telling everyone, “I got this.” Even when he did finally foul out with 80 seconds left, the Tigers had built enough of a cushion to bring it home.
Hall Shakes Off Injury, Defense Seals the Deal
Going into the game, everyone was wondering about Keyshawn Hall’s status after he tweaked his foot and ankle last week. Turns out, he’s tougher than a two-dollar steak. Hall not only played, but chipped in a crucial 18 points and played a whopping 36 minutes. His dagger of a three-pointer late in the game stretched the lead to 10 and was the final nail in Oregon’s coffin.
But let’s talk about that Auburn defense. They were pests all night, creating 12 steals and turning Oregon’s 18 turnovers into 14 points. That kind of pressure is what wins you big games. While Oregon was getting second chances with 20 offensive rebounds, they couldn’t capitalize because Auburn’s defense was just too relentless down the stretch. The Ducks went ice-cold from three, missing 10 of their last 11 attempts. You can’t win like that.
What’s Next For Auburn?
The Tigers won’t have much time to celebrate their Vegas victory. They’re right back at it, facing a tough No. 7 Michigan team on Tuesday. It is a rematch of last season’s Sweet Sixteen, so you know there will be some extra emotion in that one. If Auburn can bring the same defensive intensity and get another big night from their stars, they might just keep this winning streak rolling.
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