Auburn basketball likely tumbles from a No. 1 NCAA seed after early SEC Tournament exit vs Texas A&M
TAMPA, Fla. — A scramble around the rim felt destined to bounce toward Texas A&M, because it was established by this point early in the second half that nothing would fall Auburn basketball's way.
When the loose ball found Walker Kessler for a layup, Tigers coach Bruce Pearl seized the rare opportunity to pump up a partisan Auburn crowd at Amalie Arena.
Every bucket felt like a miracle. There weren't quite enough to go around.
The Tigers will enter the NCAA Tournament gasping for renewed breath after making an early exit from the SEC Tournament against Texas A&M on Friday, 67-62. Auburn (27-5) lost in the quarterfinals as the top seed for the second time in four years, trailing by 20 then making a too-little-too-late comeback in the last 10 minutes.
No team since 1985 has won a national title after being eliminated in the conference tournament quarterfinals, according to ESPN.
Worst shooting half of the season
When Texas A&M visited Auburn in February, the Tigers had their worst 3-point shooting game of the season (3-for-25). But it didn't matter thanks to suffocating defense and success at the rim.
This time, no matter where Auburn shot it from, it wasn't falling. The Tigers finished the first half 6-for-37 from the field, including 3-for-20 from 3-point range. They also shot 6-for-11 from the foul line.
They improved to 47% from the field after halftime, but doubling their first-half scoring wasn't enough.
REACTIONS: How Auburn basketball fans, national media reacted to SEC Tournament loss vs. Texas A&M
FLOCKING FANS: Auburn basketball's last postseason game was in Final Four. Witnesses 'peacocking' 3 years later
SHOT BLOCKER: What's it like to get swatted by Auburn basketball’s Walker Kessler? Let me tell you | Durando
Auburn's NCAA Tournament fate rests on guard production
The up-and-down season for Auburn's guard trio took a drastic downturn for most of the quarterfinal. K.D. Johnson was 0-for-14 shooting, had three turnovers and zero assists. Wendell Green Jr. started 1-for-7. Zep Jasper finished 2-for-7.
But in the last five minutes, the Tigers staged their best attempt at a dramatic comeback almost entirely on Green's back. He drained four consecutive 3-pointers, culminating in a logo heat check that narrowed the deficit to 60-55 with 1:56 left. Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams answered with a beautiful out-of-bounds play for an emphatic dunk, and Auburn never recovered.
But Green's surge was a reminder of how dangerous Auburn is capable of being when the guards click. Without their help, Auburn will be doomed in March.
Chaos stopped favoring Auburn; so did the paint
Texas A&M was the up-tempo aggressor, even after Auburn's occasional made shots in the first half. The Tigers usually win in transition. Loose-ball scrambles and increased possessions for both teams usually benefit Auburn.
Not this time.
Texas A&M outscored Auburn 15-5 in fast-break points while building a double-digit lead. Eventually, it evened out as Auburn pulled the fast-break scoring to 20-16.
But the Aggies attacked the paint in transition and outscored Auburn there 28-18. Kessler, one of the nation's best rim protectors, was scored against several times by A&M's smaller forwards. He also improved in the second half and finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.
But for a frontcourt as good as Auburn's, a double-digit loss in the lane is brutal entering the NCAA Tournament.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn basketball stumbles to early SEC Tournament exit vs. Texas A&M
