Facing a one-point deficit as time was dwindling, Elyjah Freeman took flight to corral an Auburn miss around the rim and then connected on a last-second putback to give the Tigers a 75-74 win over Kentucky at Neville Arena on Saturday.
“Our fanbase, whether we deserve it or not, they are unbelievable,” said Auburn head coach Steven Pearl. “Big win for our team. Felt like that was one we had to get. Our guys did a good job of battling the highs and lows of that game and continuing to fight. We’ve got to do a better job of finishing games. Our guys hung in there, and Elyjah makes a big play late.”
Auburn got three chances with 14.3 seconds remaining to take the lead: Kevin Overton had his shot blocked, Keyshawn Murphy missed a put back, but Freeman delivered the dagger.
“My mindset was go to the glass and whatever comes off, make a play,” said Freeman. “It ended up falling over and something good happened.”
Murphy, a week removed from a career high 22-point performance, tallied a career high 25 points and added 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.
“He had a lot of step-up tonight,” Pearl said. “He was disappointed in how he played against Mississippi State, and he followed it up with an incredible effort tonight.”
Keyshawn Hall did not light up the scoreboard in his usual manner, but recorded 10 points with nine boards and seven assists. Kevin Overton scored 10 points to surpass the 1,000-point mark for his career.
The Tigers faced a four-point deficit at the break after a stronger start than recent affairs – where they have trailed by at least 13 points in five of their last seven games. Auburn led by as many as six near the midway point of the first half, but finished the stanza with a 2-for-14 mark from the field.
Auburn struggled at the rim in the first half, missing 9-of-11 layups while Kentucky ended the half on a 7-0 run.
The Tigers fell behind by nine early in the second half after another 7-0 Kentucky run.
But an Auburn timeout led to a 7-0 burst, capped off by a Tahaad Pettiford triple to bring the Tigers within two.
Both squads traded blows down the stretch, but Auburn rallied behind a 10-0 run to take a four-point advantage – during which Kentucky was 2-of-14 from the field.
Kentucky’s Otega Oweh brought the Wildcats back with a pair of layups to even the game. He finished with a career high 29 points, giving him 30 consecutive games in double figures.
With things knotted up at 68 with just over two minutes to go, Murphy connected on three from the top of the key to give the Tigers a 3-point lead.
Photo by Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers
A pair of Auburn turnovers opened the door for the Wildcats to go ahead by one on Oweh’s two free throws and a transition dunk.
With Kentucky holding a 74-71 lead, Pettifford connected on a pair of free throws and Overton drew a foul, setting the stage for Freeman’s heroic tip-in
The Tigers will travel to Norman, Oklahoma, on Tuesday at 8 p.m. CT to play the Oklahoma Sooners on ESPNU.
“Huge win for us, but it means nothing if we don’t prepare for Oklahoma with the same desperation that we prepared for tonight,” Pearl said. TG
