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03-17-2018, 12:17 PM
SAN DIEGO - There was just over a minute to go in Friday's NCAA Tournament opener. Jared Harper had not made a shot yet. But when he got a free look, he didn't hesitate. He let it go and drained the 3-point shot that put Auburn ahead and ultimately helped the Tigers escape with a 62-58 win over College of Charleston.
Harper finished 1 of 7 from the floor with just six points. But that one was a huge one.
"My teammates gave me the ball," Harper said. "They trust me to make those shots. I have confidence in my teammates. I have confidence in my coaches. I have confidence in myself. So I didn't really think about it too much. I just knew if I was going to step in and shoot it, I had a good chance to make it."
"Huge shot," added teammate Mustapha Heron. "I look at basketball as a game of numbers. If he misses his first eight shots and he shoots 50 percent, he's going to make his next eight shots."
It might not have been the prettiest game, but what's the motto in March? Survive and advance? Auburn did just that in its first tournament appearance since 2013, and the Tigers proved that they were not content to just make it. They want to keep playing.
For Auburn, the win marked the program's eight consecutive NCAA Tournament opening-round victory, tied for the fourth-longest streak in the country.
"I think it's our team all year long," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "You look out there and wonder how from the standpoint of our size and depth, but the kids have a definite resiliency. They have a toughness. They're trying to make history."
Though Harper hit the clutch shot at the end, Auburn was led by Heron's 16 points. Desean Murray had 11 points and seven rebounds, and after being held scoreless in the first half, junior guard Bryce Brown bounced back with 10 points and a clutch 3-point shot of his own that put the Tigers back in front, 56-55, with two minutes to go.
But like Brown said after the game, it was the defense that saved the day.
This is an Auburn team that came in leading the SEC in points per game (83.4), but when the shots weren't falling, the Tigers picked up the intensity on the defensive end. They were blocking shots. They were taking charges. And more than anything, they were forcing turnovers.
Auburn forced 21 turnovers Friday against a team that is one of the best in the country in not giving away. The Cougars averaged only 9.8 turnovers per game before Friday's game.
"We just stayed together," Brown said. "On the offensive side, it definitely wasn't one of our best games. But on the defensive end, we made up for it. I feel like this was one of the best defensive games we've had all season. They're a great offensive team. They have great offensive players. To keep those guys in the 50s, that's just hats off to our defense."
In the Round of 32, Auburn (26-7) will face Clemson at 6:10 p.m. CT on Sunday.
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @greg_ostendorf
http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-bas...18aaa.html
Harper finished 1 of 7 from the floor with just six points. But that one was a huge one.
"My teammates gave me the ball," Harper said. "They trust me to make those shots. I have confidence in my teammates. I have confidence in my coaches. I have confidence in myself. So I didn't really think about it too much. I just knew if I was going to step in and shoot it, I had a good chance to make it."
"Huge shot," added teammate Mustapha Heron. "I look at basketball as a game of numbers. If he misses his first eight shots and he shoots 50 percent, he's going to make his next eight shots."
It might not have been the prettiest game, but what's the motto in March? Survive and advance? Auburn did just that in its first tournament appearance since 2013, and the Tigers proved that they were not content to just make it. They want to keep playing.
For Auburn, the win marked the program's eight consecutive NCAA Tournament opening-round victory, tied for the fourth-longest streak in the country.
"I think it's our team all year long," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "You look out there and wonder how from the standpoint of our size and depth, but the kids have a definite resiliency. They have a toughness. They're trying to make history."
Though Harper hit the clutch shot at the end, Auburn was led by Heron's 16 points. Desean Murray had 11 points and seven rebounds, and after being held scoreless in the first half, junior guard Bryce Brown bounced back with 10 points and a clutch 3-point shot of his own that put the Tigers back in front, 56-55, with two minutes to go.
But like Brown said after the game, it was the defense that saved the day.
This is an Auburn team that came in leading the SEC in points per game (83.4), but when the shots weren't falling, the Tigers picked up the intensity on the defensive end. They were blocking shots. They were taking charges. And more than anything, they were forcing turnovers.
Auburn forced 21 turnovers Friday against a team that is one of the best in the country in not giving away. The Cougars averaged only 9.8 turnovers per game before Friday's game.
"We just stayed together," Brown said. "On the offensive side, it definitely wasn't one of our best games. But on the defensive end, we made up for it. I feel like this was one of the best defensive games we've had all season. They're a great offensive team. They have great offensive players. To keep those guys in the 50s, that's just hats off to our defense."
In the Round of 32, Auburn (26-7) will face Clemson at 6:10 p.m. CT on Sunday.
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @greg_ostendorf
http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-bas...18aaa.html
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