The No. 1 Auburn Tigers fell in shocking fashion to the No. 22 Texas A&M Aggies during their visit to College Station. Though the Tigers have already clinched the SEC regular season title and are heavy favorites for the NCAA tournament, head coach Bruce Pearl didn’t hide his frustration, making something clear about their performance.
Auburn’s six-game win streak was snapped at Reed Arena, as Texas A&M delivered a statement victory over the apex predator in college basketball. The Tigers’ last defeat had been on Feb. 8 as they lost to the Florida Gators at Neville Arena.
While deflating for the team’s morale ahead of the crucial month of the year, the loss in College Station could become a strong reminder for the Tigers not to rest in their laurels. It also put on display the league’s strength, as the sixth seed in the SEC took down the No. 1 program in the country.
Auburn has only lost three games in the NCAA season, and just twice in their SEC schedule. However, Pearl had steam coming out of his ears after squandering the game against the Aggies.
“We just got physically punched in the mouth. We just got physically run out of here. They physically manhandled us,” Pearl admitted postgame, via USA Today. “And if this team is going to continue to win, we’re going to run up against teams like Texas A&M or like Florida or like Duke that are big and physical.“
Out-muscled
The Aggies’ 83-72 win over the Tigers can be explained by the physical dominance the home team enforced on Auburn. Despite the Tigers posting better shooting percentages, the battle on the boards cost Pearl’s team heavily.
“We have no excuses to allow those guys to get 24 offensive rebounds,” Pearl added. “I give Texas A&M all the credit. Our guys were physically dominated. So no, I don’t excuse our guys at all. We’re better than that, but not tonight.”
Texas A&M finished the night with 41 total rebounds, while Auburn had just 25. The Aggies had one less offensive rebound than the Tigers had total rebounds, a recipe for disaster that helps illustrate why Auburn fell in The Lone Star State.
Get back on track
Auburn must put their sorrow on the back burner and focus on the big task ahead. The Tigers must gear up for their NCAA Rivalry Week matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The school in Tuscaloosa will be looking to add to the concerns at The Plains, handing them a regular-season finale loss before the SEC Tournament and March Madness.