December 09, ATLANTA, GA The Auburn Men’s Basketball Team on Saturday, December 9, 2023, during the Auburn Tigers vs. Indiana Hoosiers game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Jamie Holt/Auburn Tigers photoTigers of Auburn, Jamie Holt
December 09, ATLANTA, GA The Auburn Men’s Basketball Team on Saturday, December 9, 2023, during the Auburn Tigers vs. Indiana Hoosiers game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Jamie Holt/Auburn Tigers photoTigers of Auburn, Jamie Holt
As Indiana basketball fans fled to the Atlanta Hawks’ home court to watch their Hoosiers take on the Tigers on Saturday afternoon as part of Atlanta’s Holiday Hoopsgiving event, head coach Bruce Pearl of Auburn was unsurprised to see Atlanta’s State Farm Arena covered in crimson and cream. “They love their basketball,” Pearl said.
And what a wonderful setting. It felt like the NCAA Tournament and the atmosphere was just as good as that of a college basketball game played at a neutral site.
Luckily for Pearl, his Tigers performed as though they were in the NCAA Tournament.
The game on Saturday got off to an early 12-point lead for Indiana.
Pearl acknowledged, “That will rattle your cage a little bit.”
However, Auburn got comfortable as the Tigers outscored the Hoosiers 100 points to win 104–76, a result that, according to Pearl, left little to be desired.
“Almost every player on our roster had a fantastic day,” Pearl stated to begin his postgame press conference. “I don’t know how we could play much better, so I wouldn’t be too hard on IU for this one. We handled the basketball, shot it well, and defended it well.
When previewing Auburn’s game against Indiana on Thursday, Pearl’s first words were, “So the question is if we’re going to shoot it better.”
The response to Pearl’s query? A strong affirmative.
Against the Hoosiers on Saturday, the Tigers made 14 three-pointers, which is more than they had in the previous three games put together. Freshman Aden Holloway led the way with a 5-for-8 performance from beyond the arc, recording his first 20-point game of his college career with 24 points overall. Those makes came at a 48.3% clip.
Concerns about Auburn’s ability to shoot the ball well were paramount before Saturday’s match.
In its three games prior to their dance with Indiana, Auburn had struggled from beyond the arc, despite the offseason talk of the Tigers’ great progress as a three-point shooting team.
Auburn’s three-point percentage against Alabama A&M, Virginia Tech, and Appalachian State was a pitiful 11-for-67 overall.
During his weekly press conference on Thursday, Pearl was asking questions of himself before the media could. This was a result of his struggles.
Holloway stated, “It was just coming off screens with them playing drop coverage.” Simply find a small opening to observe the rim and fire a clean shot. Needed not have drawn a foul or anything. I got motivated early on by some tidy looks. It was good from that point on.
In the game on Saturday, Tre Donaldson, Denver Jones, and Jaylin Williams all finished with two three-pointers apiece.
