Bryce Brown returned to the court and scored 18 point to lead Auburn to a 76-66 victory over Kentucky.
With Brown back on the court, Auburn’s offense started rough but flowed well in finishing the game on fire.
Auburn started the game 1 of 10 from the field and seemed to be too caught up in the moent. However, the Tigers settled down and made 8 of their next 9 shots, including four 3-pointers.
Brown made big shots down the stretch and joined three other Tigers – Mustapha Heron, Jared Harper, and Anfernee McLemore – in double figures.
Kentucky was led by Kevin Knox, who had 19 points, but the turnovers early on were too much for the Wildcats to overcome. Despite Auburn’s slow start, Kentucky couldn’t take advantage in committing five turnovers in that span.
Kentucky has struggled offensively for much of the season, and the main reason has been lost possessions due to turnovers. The Wildcats will need to stop stop giving away possessions so that they can create more opportunities.
X Factor: Anfernee McLemore
Kentucky had a distinct size advantage at every position and should have dominated the rebounding battle, right?
Wrong. The Wildcats did win the rebounding battle, but only by three, and Auburn had more offensive rebounds.
The reason for that? The play of Anfernee McLemore. He grabbed 11 rebounds and pitched in 13 points to once again bolster the Tigers’ smaller frontcourt.
Difference Maker: Turnovers
Auburn played with more intensity defensively and it showed by gaining a 14-7 advantage in the turnover battle.
While undersized, the Tigers pressured the ball and used that aggressiveness to force Kentucky into a lot of mistakes.
The Wildcats did not look comfortable most of the night offensively, and that was because of the relentless pressure that they were seeing most times down the floor.
Player of the Game: Bryce Brown
Brown injured his shoulder in the second half of last week’s loss to Texas A&M and missed the previous game against Georgia.
However, he came back in a big way in this game.
Brown hit four 3-pointers and made multiple defensive plays that led to fast break points. His added energy gave Auburn more than enough to pull off the huge victory.
What’s next?
Kentucky
The Wildcats will limp back to Rupp Arena on a four-game losing streak and will now prepare to face red-hot Alabama.
The Crimson Tide are coming off a 28-point victory over Tennessee, with the Vols currently alone at second in the conference standings.
Alabama is an extremely athletic, fast, and long team that is playing as good as any team in the SEC right now.
Auburn
The Tigers travel to South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks, who find themselves on a six-game losing streak.
Auburn has a very favorable schedule down the stretch and should be favored in every game remaining on the schedule.
At this point, the Tigers are inching closer to a regular season SEC championship.