With their 214th victory, Pearl breaks the Auburn record as the No. 2 Tigers defeat Texas.
AP, Austin, Texas — Coach Bruce Pearl set a school record for career wins Tuesday night when No. 2 Auburn defeated Texas 87-82, led by 20 points and 12 rebounds by Johni Broome.
After dominating the Longhorns with its height and length for extended periods, Auburn (14-1, 2-0 SEC) had a 21-point lead in the second half. However, Texas rallied behind Arthur Kaluma and Jordan Pope to pull within three points in the closing minute.
Tahaad Pettiford and Denver Jones sealed the victory with four free throws in the last 17 seconds.
In his eleventh season at Auburn, Pearl achieved victory No. 214, surpassing Joel Eaves, the Tigers’ 1949–1963 coach.
Kaluma scored 34 points on 12 of 16 shooting for Texas (11-4, 0-2). In the second half, Pope scored 17 of his 19 goals. Texas won 83-80 thanks to two free throws from Pope and a 3-pointer from Kaluma with 50 seconds remaining.
Key Takeaways
Auburn: Following Tuesday night’s 73-43 thumping of top-ranked Tennessee by Florida, the Tigers are well-positioned to take the No. 1 spot next week.
Texas: The Longhorns lost to Texas A&M by 20 points in their last game, losing 48-16 in the paint. This time, Texas equaled Auburn’s 28 points in the paint and was considerably more aggressive around the hoop.
Crucial moment
With 1:23 remaining, Broome made a buzzer-beating shot to put Auburn ahead by 10, but he was immediately given a technical foul. Pope converted two free throws, and Tre Johnson’s jumper put Texas in danger once more.
Important statistic
In the first half, Texas had no 3-pointers and only one assist.
Next up
On Saturday, both teams play. Texas welcomes Tennessee, the top-ranked team, while Auburn travels to South Carolina.
