Tigers of the Game: Broome stands out in tough loss
The No. 6 Auburn Tigers suffered another setback on Saturday, this time falling at the hands of Mississippi State, 64-58, at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville.
The Tigers hoped to get back into rhythm following a loss to Alabama on Wednesday, but nothing worked in Starkville for Bruce Pearl’s squad. Auburn struggled on the boards, especially in second-chance opportunities. Mississippi State out-rebounded Auburn, 45-30, with the Tigers pulling down an abysmal six offensive rebounds.
Shooting was not particularly great also, as Auburn shot 34% from the field, and managed to score just 20 points in the paint compared to Mississippi State’s 34.
Despite the rough outing, several players managed to help Auburn play close to Mississippi State throughout. Here’s who Auburn Wire writers, as well as Auburn fans, voted for as their “Tigers of the Game” in Auburn’s loss to Mississippi State.
Taylor Jones: Denver Jones
Despite not getting the start due to a supposed violation of team rules, Denver Jones found ways to contribute. Jones connected on 2-of-3 three point attempts, and was 2-2 from the free throw stripe en route to an 8-point performance.
JD McCarthy: Chaney Johnson
Chaney Johnson posted a productive 14 minute outing against Mississippi State. Johnson scored eight points on Saturday by connecting on 3-of-4 shots from the field, and going 2-2 from the free throw line. Defensively, he pulled down two rebounds and blocked a shot.
Brian Hauch: Tre Donaldson
Tre Donaldson got the surprise start at point guard, and turned in a solid outing by scoring six points, three rebounds, two steals, and two assists. He connected on 2-of-3 free throw attempts and shot 2-of-5 from the field.
Tyler Raley: Jaylin Williams
Jaylin Williams was not the most accurate shooter on Saturday, but found ways to play an important role in keeping the Tigers close throughout the game. He was second in scoring with 10 points, with most of the action coming from the free-throw line. He connected on 4-of-4 shots from the stripe, which made up for the 3-of-11 he posted from the field. He also grabbed five rebounds and led the team in assists with three.
Fan vote: Johni Broome
Auburn fans have spoken, and they have elected Johni Broome as Tiger of the Game by scoring 14 points and hauling in seven rebounds in Auburn’s loss to Mississippi State. Broome earned 59% of the vote, beating out Chaney Johnson, Denver Jones, and Jaylin Williams for the honor.
To have a say in who wins the next Tiger of the Game honor, head over to The Auburn Wire’s X (formerly Twitter) account to cast your vote following every Auburn basketball game.
