AUBURN, Ala. — The Auburn Tigers had a rocky start in their preseason finale at Neville Arena before gaining momentum and pulling away late to secure an 80-68 victory over the Samford Bulldogs on Thursday night.
Samford came out of the gate firing, knocking down two threes to take a lead early in the game. They held that lead for 11 minutes, with Cooper Noard leading the Bulldogs with 9 points and 6 rebounds.
With five minutes left in the half, the Tigers regained the lead and capitalized on transition opportunities. Behind 14 points and two threes from Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn finished the period on a 16-2 run to lead 35-24 at the half. Pettiford’s spark on both ends brought energy to Neville Arena, giving Auburn the momentum they needed right before the break.
Samford started out hot in the second, just as they did in the first, hitting two more threes to cut the Tigers' lead to 1 early in the half. Noard picked up where he left off, scoring 10 more points and grabbing another rebound just five minutes into the period.
Auburn turned things around by simply playing tougher down low and crashing the boards. The Tigers' emphasis on defensive rebounding limited Samford to one shot per possession and helped them push the ball quickly in transition.
On the other end, Auburn grabbed key offensive rebounds off the glass for needed second-chance points. That physical play inside helped steady the game and kept Samford from taking back control.
After 10 minutes of back-and-forth, the Tigers took their first comfortable lead, up by nine with 5:51 to go. Kevin Overton picked up 15 points in the first 14 minutes of the half, shooting 6-for-8 from the field and 3-for-5 behind the arc to lead the second-half efforts for Auburn.
Auburn held on to the lead for the final six minutes to finish their exhibition season on a high note with a win.
The Tigers' guards made the difference, combining for over 50% of Auburn's total points. Overton and Pettiford continued to shine with 25 and 20 points, respectively. Caleb Williams put up 14 second-half points, shooting 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and making a handful of big-time plays for the Tigers when they needed them most.
Noard put on a show for the Bulldogs, dropping a smooth 30 points on 60% shooting and adding 10 rebounds to complete the double-double. Ty Davis backed him up with 14 points and two steals in an efficient second half.
With exhibition play finished, the Tigers look forward to the regular season as Steven Pearl prepares for his second season as head coach. Auburn will return to Neville Arena for its regular-season opener, hosting Southern Louisiana on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 7:00 p.m. CT.
