AUBURN, Ala. – Playing without injured point guard Sharife Cooper, Auburn struggled offensively in a 74-57 loss to Florida Tuesday at Auburn Arena.
"This team has been through a lot," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. "We struggled tonight and Sunday we lost Sharife. He got hurt in practice, turned his ankle pretty good."
Struggling to find rhythm on offense without its quarterback, the Tigers committed 13 first-half turnovers and trailed 44-22 at the half, with Florida enjoying a 13-0 advantage in points off turnovers.
Jamal Johnson hit a 3-pointer for the game's first bucket but Florida went on an 11-0 run, aided by six Auburn turnovers.
Jaylin Williams scored seven first-half points, but Auburn made only 3 of 16 3-pointers while Florida hit 5 of 10. The Gators (12-6, 8-5) outscored Auburn 26-6 in the paint in the first half.
Auburn turned up the defensive heat in the second half, pressing and trapping the Gators, forcing eight turnovers and trimming Florida's lead to 15 points. The Tigers outscored the Gators 35-30 in the second half.
"To our credit, we outplayed them the second half," Pearl said. "We flew around and played with great effort and energy. To turn Florida over like we did in the second half and get after them and outscore them, I was really pleased with our kids' effort."
Outside shots, however, continued to miss the mark. Auburn was 4-for-15 in 3-pointers in the second half, 7-for-31 for the game, a 22.6 percent clip.
Devan Cambridge led Auburn with 13 points.
"Devan's been consistently solid defensively," Pearl said. "Devan can make shots. Devan's been very consistent, as consistent as anybody."
Williams added 11 points while Johnson and JT Thor chipped in 10 apiece.
"JT Thor stands out with his ability to get deflections and make plays," Pearl said. "I love coaching that kid."
Thor reclassified and graduated high school early, joining Auburn in what would have been his senior season of prep basketball.
"The transition from high school to college, you can't take any plays off," said Thor, who had eight rebounds, a blocked shot and a steal. "You've got to be alert and sharp every possession. Just keep developing and keep improving my skills overall."
Florida's Tre Mann scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, both game highs. Allen Flanigan led Auburn with nine boards. The Tigers committed 21 turnovers.
Auburn (11-13, 5-10) remains at home Saturday at 11 a.m. CT vs. Tennessee in the annual AUTLIVE game to raise money for local cancer patients and promote early detection.
Cooper's availability will be determined as the week progresses, Pearl said.
"We never rush guys back," he said. "He working to try to get back but we just don't know."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer