Quotes of note from Auburn basketball after big win over Mississippi State
Auburn basketball's Bruce Pearl and Johni Broome talk about the Tigers' victory over Mississippi State
It was a big weekend for the Auburn basketball team, which was looking to bounce back after a tough loss to #4 Tennessee on the road last week. It was a heartbreaking loss for the Tigers, and one that effectively shut Auburn out of the race for the SEC regular season title.
The Tigers did indeed bounce back and earned a dominant 78-63 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs, a team that beat Auburn in Starkville in late January. It was all Auburn from the get-go, and the Tigers kept control of the game for all 40 minutes of play. According to Auburn Daily, head coach Bruce Pearl attributes the sustained success throughout the matchup to the hot start.
"I thought the fact that we played well early, shot it well early, and the fact that we were able to turn them over 10 times and get them to run their offense way away from their comfort zone made it harder for them to get the ball into their deep touches," Pearl said.
Big man Johni Broome had another great game and spoke about how the Tigers' lockdown defense was a big part of this win and how he took the matchup with Mississippi State's Tolu Smith personally.
"Defense wins championships," Broome said, per Auburn Daily. "We're always harping on defense. They have Tolu (Smith), he's a really good player. Josh Hubbard is a really good player."
He went on to talk about Auburn's improved shooting, especially from behind the three point arc, and how it will be extremely important as the Tigers enter the postseason.
"Coach (Pearl) has been saying recently it's time to get hot," Broome said. "It's time to make a run. We don't plan on losing no more. We got two more games until the SEC Tournament and then we got March Madness so we don't want to lose any more games."
The Tigers will return to action this Wednesday, when they hit the road to take on the Missouri Tigers in Columbia at 8:00 p.m.