Wendell Green Jr., K.D. Johnson and Allen Flanigan sparked an 11-0 run late in the second half to help No. 13 Auburn to a hard-fought 65-60 win over Saint Louis.
Green finished with 22 points after scoring a team-high 14 in the first half. He also had four rebounds for Auburn (7-0).
Green, Johnson (nine points) and Flanigan (seven points, 10 rebounds) were right in the middle of the late-game surge by combining for nine points in the final 3:18.
Johni Broome had 11 points, eight rebounds and eight blocks, and Jaylin Williams had nine points and six rebounds for Auburn. Auburn had seven blocks in the first half and 11 for the game.
Javon Pickett had 16 points, including a team-high 10 in the first half, and five rebounds for Saint Louis (5-2). Gibson Jimerson added 12 points and six rebounds, and Yuri Collins had 10 points and nine assists for the Billikens.
With both teams in the bonus, Pickett’s jump shot gave the Billikens a 54-52 lead with less than seven minutes to go. Saint Louis increased its lead to 58-53 with 4:43 to play on a nifty pass from Collins, which led to a dunk by Francis Okoro.
Auburn’s ensuing run was fueled by back-to-back layups by Johnson, Flanigan’s dunk, Broome’s hook shot and Green’s free throw and layup, giving the Tigers 64-58 lead in the final minute.
Less than six minutes into the first half, Auburn held a 13-4 lead behind six points from Green and a suffocating pressure defense.
Saint Louis grabbed its first lead of the game, 20-18, with less than eight minutes in the half after Pickett scored on a fast-break layup.
Green converted an and-one to give the Tigers a 30-27 lead with 4:08 to play in the half. But Saint Louis would not go away as Auburn maintained a 36-33 lead at the half.
–Field Level Media