Auburn Tigers continued their impressive run of form with a 94-37 victory over Alabama State Hornets on Wednesday night, setting a new school record for most turnovers forced in a game with 40. The Tigers improved to 5-0 for the season, while the Hornets dropped to 1-6.
The game was never in doubt, as Auburn jumped to a 17-2 lead in the first five minutes and never looked back. The Tigers led by as many as 61 points in the second half, and outscored the Hornets 52-14 in the paint, 38-2 in fast break points, and 48-9 in points off turnovers.
Auburn’s defense was relentless, pressuring Alabama State into making mistakes and converting them into easy baskets. The Tigers had 25 steals, the most by an SEC team since 2010, and scored 38 points off those takeaways. Auburn also blocked 10 shots, with freshman Jabari Smith leading the way with four.
Smith was also the top scorer for Auburn, finishing with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting, along with six rebounds and three assists. He was one of four Tigers in double figures, joined by Allen Flanigan (15 points), Zep Jasper (13 points), and Wendell Green Jr. (10 points). Auburn shot 50% from the field and 38.5% from the three-point line, while holding Alabama State to 25.5% and 16.7%, respectively.
Alabama State was led by Kenny Strawbridge, who had 12 points and seven rebounds. He was the only Hornet to score more than six points, as the team struggled to cope with Auburn’s intensity and athleticism. Alabama State committed more turnovers (40) than field goal attempts (35), and had only four assists.
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl praised his team’s performance, saying that they played with “great energy and effort”. He also credited the crowd of 7,424 fans for creating a “great atmosphere” at Auburn Arena. Pearl said that his team is still learning and improving, and that he is looking forward to the next challenge.
Auburn will face Nebraska on Saturday, Dec. 18, in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event in Atlanta. Alabama State will try to bounce back against Troy on Sunday, Dec. 19, at home