Tigers of the Game: A trio of Tigers play key roles in win over South Florida
The No. 15 Auburn Tigers move to 2-0 on the season after a 67-59 win over South Florida on Friday night at Neville Arena.
Sure, the Tigers came away victorious, but the win was anything but easy.
Auburn trailed the Bulls, 30-21 at halftime in what was a poor half for Auburn offensively. The Tigers shot 6-of-24 from the field and turned the ball over 11 times. Despite the team’s uncharacteristic performance, Allen Flanigan stood tall above the rest in the first half.
Flanigan, who scored just three points in Auburn’s win over George Mason earlier in the week, scored eight points for Auburn in the first half, shooting 2-for-5, and pulling down two rebounds.
The Tigers upped their field goal percentage from 25% to 53% in the second half and outscored USF 46-29 to secure the win. Flanigan echoed his first half by scoring10 additional points, but Wendell Green made a complete turnaround in the final 20 minutes.
After scoring two points in the first half, both from the free throw line, Green ended the game by going 5-for-8 from the field and converting 7-of-9 free throws to end the game as the team’s leader in points.
A third Tiger quietly played a role in the team’s victory. Junior Chris Moore was one of five Tigers who played under 20 minutes but led the team in rebounds and had a great shooting night.
There is no doubt that without Green, Flanigan, and Moore, Auburn would more than likely be sitting with a 1-1 record right now. Because of their role in Auburn’s win, they earn “Tigers of the Game” honors, as voted on by the Auburn Wire staff.
Here is a look at how writers Taylor Jones, J.D. McCarthy, and River Wells voted following Auburn’s second win of the season.
Taylor Jones: Wendell Green Jr.
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For the second game in a row, Green led the team in points scored. He followed up Monday’s 16-point outing over George Mason by scoring 20 in Friday’s win over South Florida.
The most impressive stat from Green’s night, is that 18 of his 20 points were scored in the second half. Friday’s game over the Bulls marked the 13th time in his career that he reached the 20-point mark in a contest.
https://twitter.com/AuburnMBB/status/1591283887661277184?s=20&t=uA6RgLeGpKpmw2wIhow7YA
J.D. McCarthy: Allen Flanigan
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Flanigan was hot for the Tigers, seeing action off of the bench.
He was second on the team in points with 18, which included a team-high eight points in the first half. He went 6-of-10 from the field, and made three of Auburn’s five total three-pointers.
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River Wells: Chris Moore
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Buried under Flanigan and Green’s offensive game was Chris Moore’s perfect night from the field.
Moore shot 3-3 from the field, ending his night with seven points. Defensively, he led the team with five rebounds. So far in the young season, Moore has shot 75% (6-of-8) from the field for the Tigers.
Leaderboard:
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Here is a look at how many Tigers have earned a “Tiger of the Game” vote
Wendell Green Jr. | 2 |
Allen Flanigan | 1 |
Dylan Cardwell | 1 |
Johni Broome | 1 |
Chris Moore | 1 |
