Tigers stay alive
With its back against the wall, Auburn basketball picked up a much-needed, gutsy, 75-74 win over Kentucky on Saturday.
It was the Tigers’ fifth Quad I win in 15 tries this season and was massive for the team’s NCAA Tournament hopes.
Auburn’s top scorers Tahaad Pettiford and Keyshawn Hall went 5-of-24 from the floor, forcing the Tigers to rely on a double-double from KeShawn Murphy and a last-second tip-in from Elyjah Freeman to pick up the win. Hall did not impact the game in his usual manner – lighting up the scoreboard – but he flirted with a triple-double, scoring 10 points, pulling down nine rebounds, and dishing out seven assists.
The Tigers finally played winning defense, especially in the second half – even though Kentucky’s Otega Oweh tallied a career-high 29 points.
Simply put, it wasn’t pretty. Auburn did not shoot the ball well. It lost the rebounding battle. But Steven Pearl’s Tigers played with determination, as showcased by the last-second efforts on the offensive glass.
The question now: Can Auburn replicate that determination on Tuesday in Norman, Oklahoma? They’d better. The margin for error still feels slim with Selection Sunday looming in less than three weeks.
Baseball Tigers bring out the brooms in Arlington
Auburn baseball made another early-season statement, traveling to Arlington, Texas, and sweeping the field in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series for the second consecutive year.
The Tigers picked up wins over Kansas State, No. 9 Florida State, and No. 15 Louisville. After being shut out for the first time since 2024 at home by Cincinnati, Auburn tallied 23 runs over the weekend.
Photo by Mario Terrana
Bristol Carter and Brandon McCraine ignited an offense that has been looking for rhythm. The pitching staff left the weekend ranked top 10 in the country in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.69; second), walks allowed per nine innings (2.32; sixth), WHIP (0.95; eighth), and strikeouts per nine innings (13.2; ninth).
Momentum is building for the consensus top-10 Tigers as they return to the Plains to face West Georgia on Wednesday.
Interesting Tidbits
- Auburn baseball is off to a 6-1 or better start for the third straight season and fifth time under head coach Butch Thompson.
- Auburn basketball won consecutive games over Kentucky for the sixth time in school history and the first time since the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
- Steven Pearl is the first Auburn head coach to lead the Tigers to a victory over Kentucky in his first season since Tommy Joe Eagles led Auburn to a 74-70 victory over the Wildcats in Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum in 1990.
- Auburn’s win on Saturday marked the fourth time Auburn has beaten Arkansas, Florida, and Kentucky in the same season (1967-68, 1999-00, 2018-19, and 2025-26).
- Auburn softball has tallied 30 home runs in 17 games.
Until next time… TG
