Balanced effort leads Auburn to overtime victory in season opener

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Five players reached double figures as Auburn won its season opener against Saint Joseph's, 96-91, in overtime Thursday night at the Fort Myers Tip-Off.

The Tigers were led by double-doubles from Jaylin Williams (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Devan Cambridge (13 points, 10 rebounds), while Justin Powell added 17 points and seven rebounds in his collegiate debut. Allen Flanigan and Tyrell Jones chimed in with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Auburn trotted out a brand new starting lineup from a season ago that included four sophomores and one freshman, while Saint Joseph's played a majority of upperclassmen in the 2020-21 season opener for both teams.

"When the game got tight and close late, that's when Saint Joseph's had the advantage because there were a lot of guys on the floor from a year ago and we were new," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "Jaylin Williams was the best player on the floor. What a win for the first time out this season."

After falling behind 7-4 in the first four minutes, the Tigers rattled off a 10-0 run to take a 14-7 lead. That margin would grow to as large as 11 at 24-13 following a Williams jumper midway through the first half.

The Hawks chipped away and brought the score line to one, but an 11-4 run by Auburn that featured buckets from JT Thor, Powell and Flanigan gave the Tigers a 44-36 advantage at the break.

The lead was not relinquished until a minute to go in the second half when Saint Joseph's got a pair of layups from Taylor Funk to go up 83-80.

Following a pair of free throws by Flanigan and one from the Hawks' Ryan Daly, the game came down to one possession for each team.

With 13 seconds remaining, Williams slipped a screen, received the feed from Cambridge and slammed it home to knot the game back up at 84-84. Daly then missed the game-winning shot and the contest went to overtime.

It was all Auburn in the extra period as Powell and Williams combined for eight of the Tigers' 12 points and elevated the Tigers to a 96-91 win.

"Saint Joseph's had older guys and were more experienced, while we were the younger team," Williams said. "For some of our guys, this was their first college game. Down the stretch, we were more athletic and quicker. We came through and finished well as a team."

Auburn dominated the glass, outrebounding Saint Joseph's 56-39. The Tigers' 21 offensive rebounds led to 30 second-chance points on the evening.

It's a short turnaround for Auburn as it is set to take on No. 1 Gonzaga Friday morning at 10 a.m. CT on FOX and the Auburn Sports Network.