Auburn Defeats USC-Upstate 90-83

So I was kinda joking when I mentioned that because this is a "cupcake" game that Auburn should dominate that it would likely end up being a heart-pounding game. It wasn't exactly in question, but it still ended up much tighter than it should have been.

That's the kind of thing that happens when you shoot as poorly as Auburn did from beyond the arc, though. I'd like to believe that this was a game where Bruce Pearl was trying to work on 3-point shooting for the team since the Tigers seem to live and die by the 3. His comments after the game indicate he was less than pleased with the performance, though. He's nothing if not very candid. His quotes in his post-game press conference were revealing, saying

"If you're a little disappointed in how we're playing right now, you should be. And if you're wondering how good this team really is going to be, you should wonder. We've given you enough reason to."

Once again, Mustapha Heron showed why he was so highly recruited. He led the Tigers in scoring with 23 points. For the first time this season, Danjel Purifoy did not score double-digits. Jared Harper scored 10, though, so once again two of the freshmen ended in double-digits.

Auburn hit 7 three pointers, which sounds decent, except when you consider that they attempted 32. That's... that's something. It's something awful. The amazing thing is that Auburn still scored 90 points with a number like that. I want to think that's a positive, but it's hard to process.

If there's a big positive for Auburn this season, it's the depth. LaRon Smith had a great night with 15 points. Anfernee McLemore missed his first shot of his young career but continues to show his athleticism and potential. On a night when some of Auburn's biggest contributors of the first few games struggled, there were other players who really stepped up.

Auburn is 5-1, which is a great number to be at when you consider the past few seasons. Next up is a great in-state matchup with UAB this Saturday evening. The game will be on TV, but on beIN sports. Yes, that's a real channel. Auburn won last year's game in memorable fashion with Horace Spencer's game-winning block. Hopefully, the Tigers will be able to continue the winning ways with this one.

War Eagle, y'all.