Just three days after clinching a Southeastern Conference title in a dominant performance against Kentucky, Auburn men’s basketball had a night to forget against Texas A&M Tuesday.
The Tigers lost 83-72, their largest loss of the season and their first road loss in SEC play. It’s the sixth time in the last eight games Texas A&M has beaten Auburn, and the Aggies’ first ever win against a team ranked No. 1 in the AP poll.
Texas A&M’s style of play has a history of giving Auburn problems and Tuesday was no different.
Coming into the game leading the country in offensive rebounds per game and offensive rebounding percentage, the Aggies dominated the offensive glass against Auburn, scoring 29 second chance points on 24 offensive boards.
Auburn also turned the ball over 13 times, leading to 18 Texas A&M points.
“We just got physically punched in the mouth,” head coach Bruce Pearl said on Auburn’s postgame radio show. “We just got physically run out of here.”
Physicality has long been a hallmark of how Buzz Williams’ teams play at Texas A&M and Williams is now 6-2 against Pearl as the Aggies’ head coach. It’s also not the first time Auburn has lost to a more physical team this season.
Pearl pointed to having similar problems against both Duke and Florida and noted that other teams can take notice of what could be the formula for beating Auburn.
“The scouting report’s out,” Pearl said. “The best way to beat Auburn is to hit them in the mouth. And we’re either going to be able to handle the physicality of the play, or we’re not. Tonight, we just couldn’t handle it.”
While the physicality and Texas A&M’s edge on the glass jumps out, it’s not the only reason the Aggies were able to score an upset win. Texas A&M came into the game as the worst 3-point shooting team in the SEC, only making 30.8% of its attempts on the season.
The Aggies shot 36% from long range against Auburn, knocking down nine 3s, two more than their per game average.
Auburn’s next game is a rematch with No. 7 Alabama to end the regular season, another team that can pound the offensive glass and likes to shoot a lot of 3-pointers.
Alabama doesn’t quite match Texas A&M’s offensive rebounding numbers, but the Crimson Tide’s offensive rebounding percentage ranks in the top 25, according to KenPom.
Auburn won the first Iron Bowl of basketball this season 94-85, but it will take a stronger effort than Tuesday’s to complete the sweep over the Crimson Tide.
“If I’m Alabama, I’m watching that tape, and I’m showing my guys, ‘Look, all you’ve got to do is throw them out of the way.’ And see what they’ll do,” Pearl said. “Texas A&M just threw us out of the way.”
Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at prauterkus@al.com
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