Crimson Triumph Auburn Dominant Victory: Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl wasnt surprised to see Atlantas State Farm Arena bathed in crimson and cream as Indiana basketball fans flocked to the home of the Atlanta Hawks for the Hoosiers-Tigers showdown at Atlantas Holiday Hoopsgiving event.
They love their basketball, Pearl acknowledged. And what an amazing environment. This was as good an environment as there was in a neutral site college basketball game it was like it was the NCAA Tournament.
Fortunately for Pearl, his Tigers performed like it was the NCAA Tournament too.
Indiana grabbed an early 12-point lead in Saturdays matchup.
That will shake your cage a little bit, Pearl admitted.
But Auburn settled in, hanging a hundred on the Hoosiers in a 104-76 victory, leaving Pearl satisfied.
Looking up and down our roster, virtually every player had a big day, Pearl stated in his postgame press conference. I wouldnt be so hard on IU for this one because I dont know how we could play much better. We shot it well, we defended it well, we took care of the basketball.
Concerns about Auburn’s three-point shooting were prevalent leading into the game.
After struggling from beyond the arc in the previous three games, shooting a mere 16.4%, Pearl questioned whether they would shoot better in his Thursday press conference.
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The answer on Saturday? A resounding yes.
Auburn sank 14 three-pointers against the Hoosiers, surpassing the combined total of the past three games. Freshman Aden Holloway led the charge, going 5-for-8 from beyond the arc, notching his first 20-point game of his college career with 24 total points.
It was just coming off screens with them playing drop coverage, Holloway explained. Just get a little opening and see the rim, get a clean shot off. Didnt really have to draw a foul or anything. I got some clean looks early, which got me going. From there, it was good after that.
Tre Donaldson, Denver Jones, and Jaylin Williams also contributed with a pair of three-pointers each.
I think that while we did not shoot the ball well against App State or Virginia Tech, we think we are an improved shooting team, Pearl commented post-win. Our job this week was just to continue to give these guys confidence. As long as you keep taking good shots, thats the most important thing.
Auburn’s defense held firm, limiting Indiana’s leading scorer, Kelel Ware, to 13 points, five of which came in the second half.
Instead of Ware, it was Malik Reneau leading the Hoosiers scoring efforts. Auburn, however, contained Indianas big men, holding Ware and Reneau to just 14 total points in the second half.
Indiana came ready. They knew we were going to double down on their bigs, and they were already inside out. They knocked down shots, Pearl analyzed. Thats not who they are, and we do have two bigs in there with Dylan (Cardwell) and Johni (Broome) who can kind of wrestle with their big guys. And so we mixed it up. We went sometimes, but sometimes we didnt. And that was really positive.
Auburns defense forced 12 Indiana turnovers, more than the Tigers committed in their blowout win.
Auburn only coughed up the ball three times, with the third turnover coming on a shot clock violation with just over one second left. Keeping it to two turnovers wouldve set a program record.
The Tigers combined for 25 assists, with Williams leading the way with seven.
Twenty-five assists, three turnovers?, Pearl exclaimed. That was beautiful basketball.
All the positives from Saturdays win made it Auburns best win of the year so far, according to Pearl.
But the big question: Is it sustainable?
Pearl paid homage to Indianas legendary head coach, the late Bob Knight, when asked about sustainability.
If Coach Knight was answering that question, he would wear your ass out right now, Pearl quipped. How can I make sure we play that way again every night? I cant. I just cant. But thats what it looks like when you do.
Our Reader’s Queries
Who won the 2014 Iron Bowl?
In 2014, the top-ranked Alabama team triumphed over No. 15 Auburn with a landslide 55-44 victory, making it the most high-scoring Iron Bowl in history.
Who won the Iron Bowl 2012?
Alabama, led by McCarron, dominates rival Auburn as McCarron throws four touchdowns and Eddie Lacy rushes for 131 yards and two scores. Crimson Tide crushed Auburn 49-0 in the most one-sided Iron Bowls in 64 years.
When did the Iron Bowl leave Birmingham?
From 1948-1988, the famous building offered a truly special experience for college football fans. But in 1989, Coach Pat Dye’s dream came true when the Iron Bowl was moved to Auburn in odd numbered years, as the Tigers became the home team at Jordan-Hare Stadium after years of growth and preparation.
What year did the University of Alabama start playing football?
The Crimson Tide stands as one of the most renowned and accomplished football programs in NCAA history. From its inaugural season in 1892, the program proudly boasts 18 national championships. This includes an impressive 13 wire-service national titles during the poll-era, as well as five additional titles before the poll-era.