AUBURN, Ala. – For the first time this season, No. 13 Auburn played away from home and picked up two wins in Cancun, bringing back the championship in the Cancun Challenge. It wasn't easy, though. After an impressive victory over Bradley, the Tigers had to make a late defensive stand to hang on against Northwestern in the title game.
Next Game:
Saint Louis
Nov. 27, 2022
2 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network
Radio: Auburn Sports Network
"I'm very proud of my team for winning the Cancun Challenge," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "I think it talks about the toughness, the chemistry, the culture. It was a gutsy win. And we're going to have to grind some out like that this year. We just are."
"Like BP always says, defense and rebounding win championships," senior forward Jaylin Williams added. "If we defend, I don't see any team that could beat us. We could beat ourselves, but I don't see a team that could outplay us for 40 minutes."
It took all 40 minutes for Williams and his teammates to beat Saint Louis on the road last year as the Tigers rallied from a 13-point deficit with less than 10 minutes remaining. K.D. Johnson hit the go-ahead bucket, a fall-away shot off the glass, in the final seconds.
On Sunday, Auburn will host Saint Louis in a rematch of last year's contest.
"It was one of the best wins of the year (last year)," Pearl said. "This Saint Louis team is better than they were a year ago. This will be by far our biggest test in so many ways. Physically, just the talent level. This is a top 5 or 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament."
The Billikens are 5-1 to start the season with wins over Memphis and Providence.
Auburn will have the benefit of being back home in Neville Arena for this year's matchup. The two sides will tip off at 2 p.m. CT. Andy Burcham 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 SEC Network with Roy Philpott and Daymeon Fishback on the call.
PLAYER TO WATCH: K.D. JOHNSON
Junior guard K.D. Johnson is currently on a three-game double-digit scoring streak, pouring in 12 points in back-to-back games versus Bradley and Northwestern at the Cancun Challenge. He averaged 22.4 minutes off the bench and was 9 of 10 from the free throw line, including a perfect 7 of 7 against the Wildcats. Johnson ranks second on the team in steals (8) and is one of three players shooting 80 percent from the charity stripe (81.8%) this season.
INSIDE THE SERIES: SAINT LOUIS
Auburn leads 3-0 in the all-time series with Saint Louis and earned a hard-fought 74-70 win in St. Louis last December. Walker Kessler, now in the NBA, led the way with 19 points. Current point guard Wendell Green Jr. finished with 15 points and eight assists.
This will be the first meeting between the Tigers and Billikens on Auburn's home court. The first two meetings in the series were played in Nashville (W, 70-66) in 1969 and in Birmingham (W, 67-61) as part of the Mike Slive Invitational in 2019.
Sunday's matinee matchup is the last of a home-and-home series with Saint Louis.
BEST STARTS
The Tigers are off to one of the best starts in 117 seasons of Auburn Basketball. They are currently 6-0 for just the 18th time in program history and the second time under Bruce Pearl. The other 6-0 start under Pearl came during the 2019-20 season when Auburn won its first 15 games before losing.
Auburn remains as one of 26 undefeated schools still left standing in Division I.