AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn has had no problems putting the ball in the basket. The Tigers are second in the SEC with 84.2 points per game this season. Defense, however, had been a concern. Leading up this current homestand, last year's SEC champions had allowed 80 or more points in three straight games and lost all three.
The last two games? Auburn is only giving up 60.5 points per game.
"I think our last two games have been two of our better efforts and two of our better defensive efforts (this season)," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "I think it was reflective in how we played and how effective we were. There was much more joy in the game in how we were getting stops, getting run-outs and playing how we like to play."
The result was blowout wins over Missouri and Alabama at home. Next up is a Florida team that has struggled to score the ball at times. The Gators rank 13th in the conference with 69 points per game. But on the flip side, they boast one of the better defensive teams in the league.
Plus, this Florida team has proven it's not afraid to go on the road. They are 2-1 on the road in SEC play with wins over Georgia and Arkansas and a close loss at Mississippi State.
"Some teams, when you go on the road - I felt like this was us last year - you concentrate more," Pearl said. "Sometimes there's less pressure to win on the road. You're at home, you're playing in front of your friends and your family and sometimes it's harder. Some teams play better on the road. (Florida) has always had a great home-court advantage, but I don't think they play any differently on the road."
Tuesday's game will tip off at 8 p.m. CT from Auburn Arena. Rod Bramblett and Sonny Smith will have the radio call on 93.9 Tiger FM, online at AuburnTigers.com and on the TuneIn app. The game will also be televised on ESPNU with Roy Philpott and Daymeon Fishback on the call.
Player to Watch: Chuma Okeke
In his lone battle against Florida in his career, Chuma Okeke produced a solid stat line. He tallied 12 points and 10 rebounds en route to one of his three double-doubles a season ago. The Atlanta, Ga. native has averaged 12.2 points and 6.8 rebounds to go along with a .492 field goal percentage across the last six games.
Inside the Series: Florida
This is the 167th meeting between Auburn and Florida. The Tigers lead the series 87-79, but the Gators have won 11 straight and 21 of the last 22 meetings between the two teams. Auburn's only win during that span was a 61-58 victory in the quarterfinals of the 2009 SEC Tournament. Florida has won 20 straight regular-season matchups in the series.
Auburn leads 54-26 in games played in Auburn in the series, but Florida has won nine straight on the Plains, including all four matchups at Auburn Arena.
Current homestand
Through two games of its current 3-game homestand, Auburn is outscoring its opponents 88.0-60.5. The Tigers are shooting 49.6 percent from the field (63-of-127) and 46.0 percent (29-of-63) from 3-point range. They have recorded an average of 17.5 assists while forcing 20.5 turnovers in the two games.
Fourteen of Auburn's 17 SEC wins since the start of last season have been by double digits, including the last two. The average margin of victory in league wins this year is 22.3 points.
Stealing the show
Auburn's 13 steals against Alabama on Saturday are its most in an SEC game since the Tigers registered 14 against the Crimson Tide last season. The Tigers are now averaging 9.4 steals per game, which is second in the SEC and eighth nationally, and they have recorded at least 10 steals in a game 10 times this season (9-1 record). The season high was 20 steals against North Florida, one off the school record.
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @greg_ostendorf
Locked in: Auburn closes out homestand against Florida
