Photo by Todd Van Emst
From what the blog knew of both teams, it was expecting a very different game than the one that broke out Saturday at The Hump in Starkville, Miss. Up until Saturday’s game, Auburn had been the lowest-scoring team in the SEC in league play, and even though the Bulldogs play a much faster pace, the smart money was that the Tigers would try to slow Mississippi State down.
But Auburn (13-10, 3-6) came out firing and making shots behind an offensive attack that looked much more efficient than it has at any other point this season. The Tigers shot 45.9 percent from the field (53.6 percent in the first half), made 26-of-36 free throws and only turned the ball over three times, a mark that tied a 42-year-old school record for the fewest in a single game. Considering how fast both teams were playing, the mark becomes all that much more impressive, because Auburn only turned it over three times in 64 possessions.
Trying to match Mississippi State shot for shot, though, is always a tricky position, and the Bulldogs came back with a scoring attack that knocked down 12 3-pointers and placed five players in double-figures. For a team that normally forces opponents to struggle shooting, Auburn had no answer for the Bulldogs’ deep, balanced attack. To take a look at more on the game, be sure to check tomorrow’s Ledger-Enquirer, or click on the website.
For more Auburn news and notes, follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook, and a few more observations from Saturday’s game reside in the bullets below.
- Shaw graduate Chris Denson, who normally gets most of the minutes off the bench, only played nine in Saturday’s loss, and he only played three in the entire second half. The reason is simple. In a game that Auburn gave up more points than it had all season, Denson, a defensive liability, was not going to get many minutes, especially against a team with as many good perimeter players as Mississippi State.
- Forward Allen Payne continues to make progress in his return to the lineup after being benched mid-season for ineffectiveness. With running mate Josh Langford sidelined for the third straight game due to a concussion suffered against Arkansas, Payne scored 10 points, grabbed nine rebounds, handed out one assist and had a steal. Ever since returning to the lineup a couple of weeks ago, Payne has been a solid contributor.
- With Varez Ward playing better than anybody on Auburn’s roster other than maybe Kenny Gabriel, Josh Wallace’s minutes are going to suffer. Ever since taking a knee to the thigh against Arkansas, Ward has been a different player, and he’s averaging 17.7 points-per-game in three games since the injury. When he’s on, Ward is hard to stop off of the dribble, and he’s an expert at getting to the free-throw line.
- Rob Chubb scored eight points and pulled down six rebounds, but he is still struggling. Chubb only made 4-of-12 shots, and he missed two key free throws late that could have given Auburn a chance to get back in the game. Too many times, Chubb tried to back down the bigger-bodied Ricardo Sidney, failed and took a shot too far away from the basket, which inevitably came up short.
- Mississippi State’s a very talented team, but the Bulldogs’ lack of defense is going to hurt them badly in March. For the better part of the game, Auburn did whatever it wanted to offensively, and that’s a team that was only scoring 54.3 points-per-game in SEC play. At some point in March, the Bulldogs are going to have a game when shots aren’t falling, and the defense may not be enough to stave off defeat.