Tigers of the Game: Williams, Johnson join elite club
Friday night was special inside Neville Arena.
Not only did Auburn knock off in-state foe Alabama State, 82-62, to earn its fourth consecutive victory, but two of the most beloved members of the roster reached incredible milestones in the process.
In Friday’s win, senior guard KD Johnson and senior forward Jaylin Williams each eclipsed 1,000 points scored in their college careers. Williams reached the mark in five seasons with the Tigers while Johnson is in his fourth season, his second at Auburn.
Williams’ 20-point performance, as well as Johnson’s 13-point effort, were impressive in the eyes of head coach Bruce Pearl.
“Congratulations to Jaylin Williams. What a great game he had on both ends of the floor. He has been tremendously consistent over the last couple weeks. It was also great to see K.D. – that ball going in for him. I thought K.D. brought great energy into his rotation at the start of the first half where it really kind of ignited our defense.”
Following the game, Auburn Wire writers, as well as Auburn fans, shared their takes on who made the biggest impact in Auburn’s win over Alabama State. Here is a look at which players were voted “Tigers of the Game.”
Taylor Jones: KD Johnson
KD Johnson was the first Tiger of the night to reach the 1,000 point milestone. He reached the bar by scoring 13 points in Auburn’s win over Alabama State. He connected on 50% of his shots from the field (3-of-6), including a 5-of-6 clip from three-point territory. He was perfect from the free-throw line, making 4-of-4.
JD McCarthy: Jaylin Williams
The next player to reach the 1,000-point mark is senior Jaylin Williams. Williams made 7-of-10 shot attempts while succeeding on all six of his free-throw attempts en route to a team-best 20-point outing. Friday’s game was his second 20-plus point performance of the year, and his sixth game of the season of reaching double-figures in points.
Brian Hauch: Johni Broome
Johni Broome may not have scored his 1,000th career point on Friday, but he added another stellar game to his resume. Broome scored 16 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to record his 5th double-double of the season, and his 15th overall in an Auburn uniform.
Fan vote: Jaylin Williams
Auburn fans have spoken, and they have elected Jaylin Williams as Tiger of the Game for his efforts in Auburn’s win over Alabama State. Williams earned 80% of the vote, beating out the likes of Johni Broome, KD Johnson, and Tre Donaldson 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.
