Following an impressive victory over Indiana, Auburn will look to improve to 7-2 when it meets UNC Asheville on Wednesday night in the Rocket City Classic in Huntsville, Ala.
True freshman Aden Holloway and veteran Jaylin Williams led the Tigers with 24 points apiece in a 104-76 victory over Indiana on Saturday. But K.D. Johnson’s 14 points and three assists off the bench provided a major spark for coach Bruce Pearl’s team.
Auburn committed only three turnovers and shot 48.6 percent (35 of 72) from the field, including 48.3 percent (14 of 29) from 3-point range. The Tigers also shot 87 percent (20 of 23) from the free-throw line and had 25 assists.
“That was beautiful basketball,” Pearl said. “That’s a big win for our league. That’s our best win of the year so far.”
Forward Johni Broome enters Wednesday’s matchup leading Auburn in scoring average — 16.2 points per game — and rebounds (8.9).
UNC Asheville (5-5), meanwhile, has dropped back-to-back road games to Kennesaw State and Western Carolina. But the Bulldogs are capable offensively behind double-digit scorers Drew Pember, Fletcher Abee and Josh Banks.
Pember, a versatile low-post presence, leads UNC Asheville in scoring (18.1 points per game) and rebounds (7.2). He’s also second on the team in assists (3.3 per game), behind guard Caleb Burgess (5.0).
Abee is the Bulldogs’ team leader and averages 13.3 points and a team-high 27.4 minutes per game. Banks, like Abee, is a rangy guard who averages 12.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
UNC Asheville coach Mike Morell said he knows the Tigers will present a challenge.
“Bruce has done a fantastic job at Auburn,” Morell said of Pearl. “We will have to play really well in all phases to beat those guys.”
–Field Level Media