STARKVILLE, Miss. – When Samir Doughty stepped to the free-throw line to give his team a 15-point lead Saturday in the final minute, Auburn fans began chanting from the upper deck of Humphrey Coliseum.
"It's great…to be…an Auburn Tiger!" they exclaimed in unison, audible to television viewers on SEC Network and the basketball team they were extolling from above.
"We could hear our fans, and that made a big difference," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said after the Tigers' 80-68 victory in the conference opener. "I would venture to say that we probably had more Auburn people in the building than we have in the last 20 years.
"That's a good thing for the league. Mississippi State had a great crowd and we had a good following. That's what makes conference play what it is. I encourage all our fans, Mississippi State's fans; go on the road. There's nothing like it. Road wins are sweet."
"We could hear our fans & that made a big difference."
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) January 5, 2020
🗣@coachbrucepearl on @AuburnMBB fans in Starkville:
"I would venture to say that we probably had more Auburn people in the building than we have in the last 20 years. Road wins are sweet." pic.twitter.com/LQWkgrsBvu
PHYSICAL FRESHMAN
Freshman Isaac Okoro continues to impress, scoring 14 points and sharing the team lead with eight rebounds against the Bulldogs.
"Isaac Okoro did not play like a freshman," Pearl said. "He was one of the best players on the floor."
Okoro, who ranks second on Auburn averaging 12.8 points per game and third in rebounding with 4.8, adjusted quickly to the physicality of SEC basketball.
"They play more physical and that's the way I like playing," he said. "I feel like I'm going to adapt to this very well."
"That's the way I like playing."
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) January 6, 2020
🗣@isaacokoro303 on adjusting to the physicality of @SEC 🏀
The @AuburnMBB freshman had 14 points & shared the team lead with 8 rebounds in 80-68 win at Mississippi State.
AU (13-0, 1-0) hosts Vandy Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT. pic.twitter.com/2P7d0WYsun
INSTANT OFFENSE, LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
While J'Von McCormick's career-high 28-point performance grabbed the headline and SEC Player of the Week honors, senior Danjel Purifoy's second-half surge also played a key role in Auburn's win.
After State pulled within two points, Purifoy scored eight points in 79 seconds on a pair of 3-pointers and a fast-break putback to put Auburn ahead 56-46 with 7:58 remaining. The Bulldogs would get no closer than six down the stretch.
"It was great to see Danjel light it up a little bit," Pearl said. "He's capable of it. His teammates certainly have been encouraging him. It gives us another dimension, so that was very exciting."
Purifoy added another 3-pointer to finish with 11 points while tying Okoro and Samir Doughty with eight rebounds.
"I can't emphasize enough Samir Doughty's defense on Carter," said Pearl of the senior guard, who held MSU's Tyson Carter to four points on 1-of-11 shooting. "Carter's a great player. Samir stayed right in his hip pocket."
"It's been a different guy for us every night. Tonight, J'Von McCormick was brilliant. Samir Doughty's defense was incredible. Isaac Okoro did not play like a freshman at all. He was one of the best players on the floor."
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) January 5, 2020
🗣@coachbrucepearl
"That was a good win for us." pic.twitter.com/geMA6ZbaRw
"That gave us a spark."
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) January 5, 2020
🗣@KingMcCormick_5
"He took over."
🗣@coachbrucepearl
"A very big boost for us."
🗣@isaacokoro303
Career-high 28 points for J'Von McCormick, who ended Auburn's 3-point drought early in 2H en route to 80-68 @AuburnMBB win in @SEC opener at Miss St pic.twitter.com/zzt61KIJsS
UP NEXT
Ranked in the Associated Press top five for the first time in 20 years, No. 5 Auburn (13-0, 1-0) looks to continue its winning ways when it hosts Vanderbilt Wednesday at 8 p.m., the Tigers' SEC home opener. Auburn has won 25 of its last 26 games, including 10 straight over conference opponents.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer