Auburn basketball: Tigers escape with win in final moments vs. Florida

Well. It wasn’t always pretty. But as they say, “a win is a win”. Auburn basketball kicked off the 2022-23 conference slate at home against the Florida Gators Wednesday night, and while the Tigers didn’t necessarily play their best basketball, nor did they cover the spread, they did what was necessary.

All year, we’ve focused on the lack of perimeter shooting. Tonight was no different. Going in, the good guys were shooting just 30% from downtown.

No bueno. Let’s talk about it.

First Half: Auburn basketball struggles on offense

The first half went about how we imagined it would. Sluggish on offense, with a defense that was doing everything it could. Auburn started out much better, but Florida kept the pace throughout.

One of the big themes this season has been that the defense is doing everything it can, while the offense just muddles around, hoping it can keep up. They got away with it because Florida was equally as abysmal offensively.

Florida actually managed to take the lead heading into halftime, holding Auburn scoreless from the 2:56 mark to the 0:01 mark in the half, when Wendell Green Jr. knocked down a three to go into the break down three.

Second Half: Improvements key to last-minute victory

The second half, while a tooth and nail fight, was much better offensively for Auburn. 38 points compared to just 23 in the first half proved to be a much needed injection of life. Florida never let this one get away. It was a one score game both ways for virtually the entire half.

Johni Broome and Jaylin Williams, as has been the trend all season, made their mark in the closing moments. Both made crucial buckets that would prove to be the difference heading into the stretch.

Broome’s final basket proved to be the difference, putting Auburn up 2 with 1:16 left. Not to be outdone, Wendell Green Jr. turned a steal at the end into a layup to give the Tigers a 3 point win.

Conclusion

It was a struggle, but in this portion of the schedule, Auburn basketball needs wins. Wins against teams that have been a thorn in your side for years are even more crucial.

With that, the Tigers move on to 11-2 overall and 1-0 in SEC play. On the other side of the New Year’s holiday, we will be on the road in Athens for a showdown with Georgia.

War Eagle.