Auburn Men's Basketball headed west to Tucson, Ariz. on Saturday night to take on the No. 2 Arizona Wildcats, one of the nation's best teams. Arizona wasted no time in showing why it deserved its ranking, dominating the Tigers in a 97-86 rout.
Auburn spent most of Saturday night playing from behind, and nothing ever felt clean enough for the Tigers to make a real push. From the opening minutes, they looked a step slow — late on rotations, sloppy with the ball, and unable to keep up with Arizona’s pace or physicality. Shooting didn’t help either, as Auburn went just 3-for-15 from deep and struggled to find any rhythm in the half court.
Tahaad Pettiford did everything he could to keep Auburn afloat, scoring 10 first-half points and giving the Tigers their only consistent spark. Even with his energy, the same problems kept showing up: turnovers in bad spots, missed assignments, and a general lack of cohesion on both ends. Still, Auburn made it to halftime down just 42–34 — close enough that a comeback felt possible if they could settle in.
However, the second half got away from the Tigers quickly. Arizona opened with a 15–2 run, hitting dunks, layups, and clean jumpers before Auburn could find its footing. Pettiford did what he could, hitting a few threes and free throws, but every Auburn basket was answered immediately, and the game quickly slipped from competitive to out of reach.
If you look at the box score, it’s easy to see why. Arizona shot 61% from the field to Auburn’s 33%, dominating the paint 60–24. The Wildcats were sharper with the ball, turning Auburn’s 15 turnovers into 21 points, while Auburn managed only 12 off Arizona’s miscues. Arizona also finished with 23 assists to Auburn’s 7, moving the ball with far more purpose. Individually, Pettiford finished with a career-high 30 points, including five threes. Keyshawn Hall added 13 points and nine rebounds and was the only other Tiger to score double digits.
The depth gap between the two squads was just as clear. Arizona’s bench outscored Auburn 27–6, giving the Wildcats consistent production that the Tigers never found. Even in areas where Auburn usually competes, such as second-chance points and fast breaks, the Tigers couldn’t keep up. Auburn held a slight edge on second-chance points (13–12) but was outscored on fast breaks 19–13, yet another sign of how effectively Arizona controlled the pace. Auburn grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, but even that couldn’t slow down how efficiently the Wildcats scored.
In the end, it was a long night in Tucson and a reminder of how far Auburn still has to go. An eight-point halftime deficit turned into a blowout because Arizona executed, pushed the pace, and controlled nearly every phase of the game, and Auburn never found a way to keep up.
Auburn will be back in action on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 3:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network, when the Tigers take on Chattanooga in Atlanta before facing a huge test against No. 1 Purdue.
