The Auburn basketball team picked up a much-needed victory Tuesday night, defeating LSU 88-74.
The win helped Auburn get back into the NCAA Tournament contention after slipping into the “Top Four” category of ESPN’s latest Bracketology. A win over Quad 2 LSU doesn’t solidify their spot in the tournament, but Auburn can use it to gain momentum before its biggest game of the season, Saturday at No. 16 Alabama, a Quad 1 opportunity.
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“It feels great from a team standpoint,” Auburn guard Tahad Pettiford said after Tuesday’s win over LSU. “There’s been a lot of lows this season, but ultimately it’s nice to be able to get somewhere in the SEC tournament, hopefully. March Madness. Just trying to get the momentum we need to get in there and show what we can do.”
Here’s a closer look at five key factors in Auburn’s win over LSU on Tuesday.
Tahad Pettiford’s big night
The win against LSU might have been Tahad Pettiford’s best performance of the season. It comes at the perfect time, as Auburn is trying to keep alive its hopes of making an NCAA tournament bid. Pettiford scored 27 points on 10-for-16 shooting to lead the Tigers to victory. He also hit four of seven three-pointers and dished out six assists to his teammates.
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Kevin Overton scored 21 points
It wasn’t just Pettiford who performed well. Kevin Overton also contributed 21 points and hit 4 three-pointers in this game. Overall, Overton shot 6-for-10 from the field and made five free throws. Tuesday night marked the sixth time this season that Overton scored more than 20 points in a game.
Auburn wins 3-point line
Auburn has struggled defensively from behind the arc as of late. It doesn’t help that they’re terrible at shooting from behind the arc. LSU shot 47 percent from deep on seven of its 15 possessions. Auburn shot 10-of-24 from the field, or 42 percent, but the key was a defensive effort that didn’t allow LSU to take many 3-pointers.
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forced turnover
Defensively, Auburn did a good job of forcing LSU turnovers. Auburn contributed 13 steals and forced 16 turnovers. They did a good job of turning LSU’s turnovers into 13 points. Pettiford led the team in an impressive performance with four steals in the game.
The second half started quickly
With 18:32 left in the second half, Auburn led LSU 45-38. Pettiford then went on an 8-0 run on his own, extending the lead to 53-42 with 16 minutes and 30 seconds left in the half. Pettiford hit two three-pointers and a two-pointer in that game. Auburn eventually extended its lead to 19 points and never looked back after Pettiford scored eight points.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn basketball beats LSU: Key stats, recap
