Auburn, riding an 11-game win streak, takes on LSU in Baton Rouge. Can the Tigers stay unbeaten in SEC play? LSU aims to bounce back after a strong effort against Alabama.
Auburn has had a few nail-biters lately, but they’re still holding strong as the unanimous No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25. With 11 straight wins under their belt, Auburn (18-1, 6-0 SEC) heads to Baton Rouge on Wednesday night for a matchup against LSU.
Their last game was a thriller, with Auburn rallying late to beat then-No. 6 Tennessee 53-51 on Saturday. Coach Bruce Pearl said, “We can play better, and we were still able to beat a great team. We’ve won four of the last six games on the final possession. It’s a battle every night.”
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Auburn’s recent road games have all been close: a two-point win at Georgia, a three-point win at South Carolina, and a five-point victory at Texas. Star forward Johni Broome missed the Georgia game and a win against Mississippi State due to an ankle injury but came back strong against Tennessee. He put up 16 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks in 33 minutes.
“It was a rough one, but we got it done,” Broome said. His assist on Miles Kelly’s clutch 3-pointer with 30 seconds left sealed the win. Pearl praised Broome’s dedication, saying, “What Johni did with his rehab all week to come out and affect winning so much—it’s another statement as a leader.”
Despite their success, Pearl knows Auburn needs to stay sharp. “The key is not getting too high or too low,” Pearl said. “We’ve got to get better. The book is out on everyone. We need a Plan B, a Plan C, and we’ve got to figure it out.”
On the other side, LSU (12-7, 1-5 SEC) may be near the bottom of the standings, but they showed promise in a hard-fought 80-73 loss to No. 4 Alabama on Saturday.
“Disappointed with the result, but I definitely think we got better as a team,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “I liked our preparation and mindset. The guys came to compete and fight. I loved the physicality in the first half.”
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LSU forward Corey Chest dominated the boards, grabbing 15 of his 18 rebounds in the first half. “That’s as good a rebounding performance as I’ve seen in one half,” McMahon said.
But in the second half, LSU couldn’t keep up. They were outscored 50-43 and struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 1-for-11 on 3-pointers after halftime and finishing 3-for-23 overall.
Despite the loss, LSU showed improvement in handling the ball, which has been a big issue during SEC play. While they average 4.2 more turnovers than their opponents, they matched Alabama with 14 turnovers and scored 17 points off those mistakes.
Auburn will look to extend their streak, while LSU hopes to build on their progress and pull off a big upset. All eyes are on Baton Rouge for this SEC clash.
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