The Auburn Tigers pulled off an impressive 85-74 victory over No. 14 St. John's in Las Vegas, erasing a double-digit deficit with dominant second-half play. The win moved the Tigers to 6-2 under first-year head coach Steven Pearl, building on their early-season momentum.
Following their 30-point loss to Michigan the previous night, Pearl's squad needed a response. They found it through one specific element that had been missing.
After the victory, Pearl emphasized ball movement as the catalyst for their turnaround. Auburn finished with 16 assists against the Red Storm, hitting the exact target the coaching staff had set.
“We talked about we needed 15-plus assists. We got 16… That's Auburn basketball, and that's what we got away from yesterday,” Pearl said, via Justin Ferguson on X.
The offensive flow showed up in the shooting numbers. Auburn converted 55% of its field goal attempts and knocked down 43% from three-point range, a stark contrast to its struggles against the Wolverines.
Freshman Tahaad Pettiford delivered a career-high 27 points, with most of his damage coming after halftime. Kevin Overton chipped in 12 points while leading the team with five assists to complement the ball movement Pearl demanded.
Keyshawn Hall's return from injury provided another boost. Hall had been dealing with an ankle and foot sprain that threatened to keep him out of the Players Era Festival, but he contributed 20 points and eight rebounds in the win.
Auburn trailed by 11 points in the second half before completely flipping the game. The Tigers outscored St. John's 55-35 after the break, holding the Red Storm to just 38% shooting while forcing 14 turnovers.
The victory marked Pearl's first win over a top-15 opponent as a head coach. It also validated his emphasis on the offensive principles that made Auburn successful under his father, Bruce.
Pearl now faces the challenge of maintaining that consistency. The Tigers will need to carry that momentum into a challenging stretch that includes a home game against NC State and road games at Arizona and Purdue.
