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Auburn Basketball: Antoine Mason, Tigers Looking For Series Sweep of LSU

By Nicholas Ian Allen

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The Auburn basketball team was blown out Saturday at Kentucky, but return home to face LSU Tuesday with a series sweep hanging in the balance. 

Auburn Tigers (12-15, 4-10) vs. LSU Tigers (19-8, 8-6)

  • Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2015
  • Start Time: 6:00 PM Central
  • Location: Auburn, AL
  • Arena: Auburn Arena
  • TV Info: ESPNU
  • Live Stream: WatchESPN, ESPN3.com
  • Odds (VegasInsider.com): LSU (-5)

The Auburn Tigers started about as poorly as possible Saturday in Rupp Arena, falling behind 30-4 midway in the first half in the 110-75 loss to the 26-0, top ranked Kentucky Wildcats. But, there were bright spots – especially the 29 points senior guard Antoine Mason scored.

Feb 21, 2015; Lexington, KY, USA; Auburn Tigers guard KT Harrell (1) rebounds the ball against the Kentucky Wildcats in the second half at Rupp Arena. The Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Auburn Tigers 110-75. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

“I am big on history and I am big on honoring the game,” Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl said during a Monday press conference. “For Antoine to put up 29 points at Kentucky, that is the highest scoring from anybody and that might even be the highest scoring all year long at Kentucky. He owns that. That is a neat accomplishment.”

Mason has been playing his best basketball of the season in recent weeks dating back to the 24 points he scored in Auburn’s 81-77 upset victory over LSU in Baton Rouge February 5.

In his last six games, the 6-foot-1 senior has averaged 19.3 points per game and has scored 23 points or more four times. Across that span, Mason is shooting 46.5% from the floor and has connected on 17 of 30 (56.7%) three-point attempts.

That production would be impressive for anyone – even the nation’s top returning scorer from last season – but Mason has played the last three games (in which he has 20.7 points on average) while his father Anthony Mason lies in a New York hospital bed recovering from a heart attack.

It’s certainly not an easy situation to deal with, but Mason finds strength in the connection he shares with his NBA All-Star father.

“The cool thing is in certain games,” Mason said, “if I mess up or do something, I can picture him with his facial expression, and I start laughing and get into a comfort zone. We have like a deep connection. He doesn’t have to be here for me to know he’s watching me.”

As well as Mason has played – along with teammate K.T. Harrell, who has averaged 20.7 points with four 20-point games over the same six-game span- the Tigers have struggled as a whole. The Auburn basketball team has lost eight of their last ten games and four of five since beating LSU. They’re also on a five-game losing streak at Auburn Arena.

The Tigers are 12-15 overall and 4-10 in the SEC this season, which means they need to win each of their final four regular season games and score a victory in the SEC tournament to secure a winning record for post-season eligibility.

It’s a tall order, and Auburn will have their hands full again tonight.

Despite beating the Bayou Bengals  earlier this month, LSU has one of the most talented starting lineups in the SEC. Four players average double digits scoring and Jordan Mickey, who averages a double-double, is a candidate to be the league’s player of the year.

However, Auburn has beaten LSU before and they can do it again. Especially if Mason and Harrell stay hot.

Auburn

#5 Cinmeon Bowers, F, Jr., 6-foot-7, 278 pounds, 12.8 PPG, 10.5 RPG
#25 Jordon Granger, F, Jr., 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, 4.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG
#1 K.T. Harrell, G, Sr., 6-foot-4, 212 pounds, 17.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG
#12 K.C. Ross-Miller, G, Sr., 6-foot-0, 178 pounds, 6.5 PPG, 1.9 RPG
#14 Antoine Mason, G, Sr., 6-foot-1, 216 pounds, 15.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG

LSU

#1 Jarell Martin, F, So., 6-foot-10, 235 pounds, 16.2 PPG, 8.9 RPG
#25 Jordan Mickey, F, So., 6-foot-8, 235 pounds, 16.6 PPG, 10.4 RPG
#55 Tim Quarterman, F, So., 6-foot-6, 187 pounds, 11.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG
#4 Keith Hornsby, G, Jr., 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, 12.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG
#15 Jalyn Patterson, G, Fr., 6-foot, 176 pounds, 5.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG

Next: ESPN Snubs Auburn-Alabama in Top Ten Rivalries List

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