Auburn @ Mississippi preview
The Pavilion at Ole Miss
Last Meeting ( Feb 25, 2020 ) Mississippi 58, Auburn 67
Auburn recorded three straight convincing victories to extend its winning streak to five games before limping to consecutive losses to begin Southeastern Conference play.
The Tigers (6-4, 0-2) aim to turn it around on Wednesday when they visit Ole Miss (5-3, 0-1) in Oxford.
A porous first half on Saturday went a long way toward the undoing of Auburn, which saw its spirited rally fall just a bit short in a 68-66 setback at Texas A&M. The Tigers shot 54.8 percent from the floor during their 44-point second half.
"It was an ugly first half, but at least we competed," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. "Even though we were down 11, offensively we played bad enough to be completely out of the game. But our kids have got better character than that, and they stayed in it. In the second half, we started to be able to move the ball a little bit better and get the ball where we wanted to get it."
Jamal Johnson followed up his career-high, 21-point performance in the Tigers' 97-85 loss to Arkansas on Wednesday by scoring 17 of his 20 points in the second half versus the Aggies.
"You can see the advantages of being a junior," Pearl said of Johnson. "He's been in the program for three years now. He worked so hard in the offseason, but he's got a leadership role on this team."
Allen Flanigan converted three shots from beyond the arc during the second half on Saturday to finish with 16 points, marking the ninth time in 10 games that he has finished in double-digit scoring. Flanigan leads Auburn by averaging 14.5 points per game.
Justin Powell, who is averaging team-leading totals in rebounds (6.1) and assists (4.7), sustained a head injury on Saturday. His availability for Wednesday's contest is unclear.
Like the Tigers, the Rebels have lost two in a row heading into Wednesday's showdown.
Devontae Shuler rebounded from a 2-for-11 shooting performance in Ole Miss' 82-64 loss to Alabama on Tuesday by making a career-high six 3-pointers to highlight his 20-point performance in an 83-79 loss to Wichita State. Saturday's setback snapped a six-game home winning streak for the Rebels.
Shuler, who averages a team-best 14.6 points per game, erupted for 26 in an 83-82 loss in double overtime to Auburn on Jan. 28, 2020. He was limited to just seven points after fouling out in a 67-58 setback to the Tigers on Feb. 25.
KJ Buffen had a season-high 18 points on Saturday to mark his fifth straight game in double digits.
While the offensive performances were appreciated, Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis lamented his team's foul-happy ways.
"If you tell yourself that you get 29 points off turnovers at home and make nine 3s, that you win the game," Davis said, per WLOX in Biloxi. "But like I said, we couldn't keep them off the line at the end. But I thought we had active hands and created some good offense."
--Field Level Media