Jan. 31, 2009
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AUBURN, Ala. (AP) - Jermaine Beal scored a career-high 21 points by making a career-high seven 3-pointers in eight attempts to lead Vanderbilt to an 82-75 victory over Auburn in Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum Saturday.
Rasheem Barrett scored a career-high 29 points for Auburn (13-8, 2-4), who only had the services of leading scorer DeWayne Reed for three minutes. Reed who led the Tigers with 14.0 points, 3.9 assists and was third in the SEC with 2.1 steals per game coming into the game, had arrived late to the Coliseum pregame and was held out of the starting lineup. He checked into the game with 10:58 to go in the first half before being pulled three minutes later.
Vanderbilt (13-8, 2-5) entered the game losers of four straight games and five of their last six as leading scorer A.J. Ogilvy, had averaged only 4.7 points in his last three games suffering from injury and illness. Ogilvy, who torched Auburn for an average of 23.0 points while making 18-of-22 shots from the field in two games last year, totaled 14 points six rebounds and five assists.
"Vanderbilt was very sharp offensively in this game," said Auburn head coach Jeff Lebo. "They made shots as they came in struggling to shoot the ball. (A.J.) Ogilvy had been unhealthy and sick, so he was obviously better and that was a big factor in this game. Jermaine Beal was tremendous. He was coming in 6-of-26 (from 3-point range) in SEC play and just made 7-of-8 today and three crucial ones.
"Rasheem Barrett, offensively, was unbelievable today. I didn't know if he was going to be able to play the second half because his groin has been acting up again. So, we gutted it out."
Both teams shot better from the field than the free throw line as Vanderbilt outshot Auburn 60.9 percent (28-of-46) to 50.0 percent (28-of-56) from the field, 58.8 percent (10-of-17) to 42.9 percent (12-of-28) from 3-point range and 51.6 percent (16-of-31) to 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from the foul line. The Commodores were shooting 25 percent from 3-point range in SEC play entering the game.
Back-to-back Lucas Hargrove 3-pointers enabled Auburn to tie the score at 70 with 3:15 to play but two-straight 3-pointers by Jermaine Beal put Vanderbilt up for good at 76-70 with 1:51 remaining. The Tigers closed to 77-75 on another Hargrove trey with 1:09 left but Auburn wouldn't score again. Hargrove missed a jumper, Barrett missed a 3-pointer and Quantez Robertson missed all four free throw attempts.
After Auburn closed to within two, Brad Tinsley answered with a 3-pointer to put Vandy up 80-75 with 36 seconds to go in the game.
"I believe this is one of my better offensive games," Barrett said. "I just came out and was feeling it and seemed like every time I shot, it went in. It is very disappointing that we couldn't finish with the win."
Vanderbilt raced out to a 16-5 lead almost six minutes in and stretched it to 13 points twice, the last at 38-25 with 3:44 left in the half. Auburn outscored Vanderbilt 11-3 to trail only 41-36 at the half despite allowing the Commodores to shoot 57.7 percent (15-of-26) from the field and 50 percent (5-of-10) from 3-point range.
Rasheem Barrett scored 14 first half points, making 4-of-5 from 3-point range, to keep Auburn in the game as the Tigers warmed up late in the first half to finish at 42.4 percent (14-of-33) shooting from the field and 35.3 percent (6-of-17) from 3-point range.
Vanderbilt outrebounded Auburn 35-22 while the Tigers tied a season-high with 10 made 3-pointers and only had 10 turnovers compared to the Commodores 14. Auburn outscored Vanderbilt 22-10 in points off turnovers but was outscored 13-3 in second chance points.
Korvotney Barber added 12 points and eight rebounds for Auburn while Hargrove had 11 points, making 3-of-4 three-pointers, to go along with six rebounds. Freshman Jeffery Taylor had 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Auburn lost its 13th straight game to an SEC Eastern Division team, a streak that dates back two years exactly.
Auburn returns to action as it plays at Ole Miss (12-9, 3-4) Wednesday in Oxford. The Rebels have won two-straight games vs. No. 24 Kentucky and at Mississippi State Saturday.