Basketball News: 12-15-2025
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Dudley Dent
Dec 15, 2025, 8:25:11 AM (11 days ago) Dec 15
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Auburn Basketball News: 12-15-2025
Keyshawn Hall's double-double leads No. 21 Auburn over Chattanooga:
https://auburntigers.com/news/2025/12/13/keyshawn-halls-double-double-leads-no-21-auburn-over-chattanooga
Pearl on frustrating win over Chattanooga: 'They were the more excited team to play':
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/longformarticle/auburn-basketball-steven-pearl-tigers-chattanooga-press-conference-keyshawn-hall-266403814/#2767234
Auburn’s Elyjah Freeman volunteers for bench role, breaks scoring slump:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2025/12/will-elyjah-freeman-become-auburn-basketballs-primary-sixth-man.html
Auburn's Emeka Opurum out for season due to medical condition:
https://www.on3.com/teams/auburn-tigers/news/auburns-emeka-opurum-out-for-season-due-to-medical-condition/
How Steven Pearl’s halftime speech about Emeka Opurum transformed Auburn’s performance:
https://www.al.com/auburnbasketball/2025/12/how-steven-pearls-halftime-speech-about-emeka-opurum-transformed-auburns-performance.html
3 takeaways from Auburn basketball’s Hoopsgiving victory vs Chattanooga:
https://www.al.com/auburnbasketball/2025/12/3-takeaways-from-auburn-basketballs-hoopsgiving-victory-vs-chattanooga.html
Auburn women come up just short at Seton Hall:
https://auburntigers.com/news/2025/12/14/auburn-women-come-up-just-short-at-seton-hall
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Keyshawn Hall's double-double leads No. 21 Auburn over Chattanooga
By Jeff Shearer
No. 21 Auburn used the big three of Keyshawn Hall, Tahaad Pettiford and Elyjah Freeman along with a dominating rebounding performance to defeat upset-minded Chattanooga 92-78 Saturday in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event at State Farm Arena.
“Happy with the result but really disappointed in the process,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl. “Didn’t have the pop we needed tonight. Our defense has got to be better.”
Hall registered his fifth double-double of the season, leading the Tigers with 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
“I was trying to dish to other guys, let them hit some shots. My biggest thing every game is I always try to crash the rebounds. That gets me going,” said Hall, who made 11 of 14 free-throw attempts. “If I can do that, it elevates my game. We’re going to have to pick it up before the next game.”
Pettiford scored eight of his 20 points in the final 37 seconds, and Freeman chipped in 19 points and seven rebounds off the bench after suggesting freshman Sebastian Williams-Adams start in his place.
“Trying to figure out what’s best for the team,” Freeman said of his team-first recommendation. “Putting SWA (Williams-Adams) there, he can play-make and help our team with our assist numbers because we’ve been trying to get them up. Him starting and me coming off the bench, I don’t have a problem with that, and I know I’m going to play.”
Auburn outrebounded the smaller Mocs 42-20, enjoying a 16-7 advantage in second-chance points.
KeShawn Murphy contributed nine points and nine rebounds. Williams-Adams added eight points, four rebounds and five assists.
Leading by five points at the half, Auburn saw Chattanooga pull within one point three times early in the second half before a 12-0 run gave the Tigers a 14-point lead with 11:07 to play on a pair of Williams-Adams free throws.
Freeman’s steal and layup gave the Tigers a 16-point lead before Chattanooga used a 7-0 run to cut Auburn’s lead to single digits.
Freeman and Pettiford hit 3-pointers 36 seconds apart to take the lead back to double digits in a game Auburn never trailed.
In the first half, Pettiford gave the Tigers a 13-point lead with a 3-pointer with 8:50 remaining before the Mocs got within two in the final minute.
“We’ve got to do a better job on that (defensive) side of creating havoc and trying to create turnovers,” Pearl said. “I’ve got to get back to the drawing board and figure out how I can make this team better defensively.”
Freeman beat the buzzer to give Auburn a 43-38 halftime lead. Hall paced the Tigers with 12 first-half points and five rebounds, helping Auburn outrebound Chattanooga 22-10 in the opening half.
“We know our potential, so we just have to lock in and have that same effort the whole game,” Hall said.
Jordan Frison scored 20 points for Chattanooga (5-6).
Auburn (8-3) has a week to get ready for its next high-profile opponent. The Tigers take on No. 6 Purdue next Saturday at 5:30 p.m. CT in Indianapolis, Indiana.
GAME NOTES
Auburn leads Chattanooga 4-2 all-time. The Tigers have won four of the last five in the series.
The Tigers are 7-2 in State Farm Arena all-time, including 5-1 in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event, and the Tigers have won five straight games in the venue.
Auburn started Tahaad Pettiford, Kevin Overton, Keyshawn Hall, KeShawn Murphy and Sebastian Williams-Adams. It is the first time the group has started together this season.
With its 92-point effort, Auburn topped the 90-point mark for the fifth time this season. On the season, the Tigers have scored 951 points, which is the fourth-most points through 11 games in program history (1,036 points in 1991-92, 974 points in 2024-25 and 964 points in 2000-01).
Auburn went 11-of-30 from 3-point range, marking the third time this season the Tigers have made at least 11 3-pointers (13 vs. Jackson State and 12 vs. NC State).
Auburn went 29-of-37 from the free throw line on Saturday, making 17 straight from the charity stripe after making its final three free throws of the first half and the first 14 of the second half.
The 29 made free throws are a season high, topping the Tigers’ 27 free throws from each of the first two games of the year against Bethune-Cookman and Merrimack. Over the last four games, Auburn has gone 89-of-109 (81.7 percent) from the free throw line, going at least 78.4 percent from the line in all four contests.
Auburn recorded 17 assists on 26 made field goals, which is the second most this season as a team.
Auburn outrebounded Chattanooga, 42-20. The plus-22 rebounding margin is the Tigers’ second-best mark of the season (+31 vs. Jackson State). The Tigers are 7-0 when outrebounding an opponent this season.
Keyshawn Hall (22), Tahaad Pettiford (20) and Elyjah Freeman (19) led Auburn in scoring, combining to score 61 of Auburn’s 92 points.
Hall recorded his fifth double-double and his fifth 20-point, 10-rebound game of the season with 22 points and 11 rebounds to go with six assists and one block in 36 minutes. He went over 1,400 career points in the game, finishing with 1,407 points.
Pettiford recorded his second consecutive 20-point game as he finished with 20 points in 30 minutes, including 14 in the second half.
It is the fourth time this season Auburn has had two 20-point scorers in a game, including the second time Hall and Pettiford have done it in the same game.
Freeman scored 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers, and 3-of-3 from the foul line, and he added seven rebounds and one steal in 33 minutes. It is his 31st career game in double figures (third this season) as he was two points shy of his season high 21 points against Wofford.
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Pearl on frustrating win over Chattanooga: 'They were the more excited team to play'
By Nathan King
Auburn's eighth win of the season didn't come without some hair-pulling from the Tigers, who ultimately fended off Chattanooga 92-78 on Saturday evening after some struggles on defense, mainly in the first half. Keyshawn Hall and Tahaad Pettiford combined for 42 points, and Auburn made 11 3-pointers, but the Moccasins were tough to put away. Auburn's 13 turnovers didn't help.
Here's everything Pearl had to say after the Tigers' victory, as Auburn now has another full week of rest before facing No. 6 Purdue next Saturday.
OPENING REMARKS ...
"I'm never gonna sit here and complain about a win. Happy with the result, but really disappointed in the process. I thought we had three good days of practice this week to get ready and prepare for a team that was going to come out and play with their hair on fair. And we didn't get that, I don't think. That's on us as a coaching staff. We've got to be able to get more out of guys in practice, in preparation and in these games. I thought we prepared like that, and we came out in the first five minutes like that. When you give a team like that confidence early in games -- a team that has absolutely nothing to lose -- it makes them believe they can stick around in the game, and ultimately they did.
"Credit to Coach Earl and his staff. They did a really good job of switching some things up defensively. They did a lot more switching off the ball; they ran 3-2 zone basically the entire game. With such a limited front line, they did a really good job finding ways to bother us and turn us over. So I thought they did a really good job getting their guys ready, and they played with great effort and energy. I thought they were the more excited team to play. I've got to do a better job as their coach of getting these guys fired up to play in these types of games. One of the things you worry about with a team of 10 new guys: You've got to be able to win all the games you're supposed to. That was a game we're supposed to win. It was a one-possession game in the second half, then we go on a run.
"Defensively in the first half, all we talked about was when they penetrate, you've got to find your man because they do a great job of drive-draw dishing. There were 15 or 20 occurrences where we just got caught staring at the ball. And they made five 3s. You can't let a team like that get confident from 3. They had one turnover at halftime, so we did a terrible job dictating what they do. We're just kind of letting teams run their offense. Our guards have got to be better one-on-one defenders, though. A big problem is we need to be able to rely on our guards to keep their man in front. We're just not able to do that. And a team like this, you can't offer help. If you do, they do a great job finding the open man, and they make you pay for it.
"Offensively, they were at such a disadvantage because of their size that, any time we ran some semblance of offense and executed it, we got whatever we wanted. We had 17 assists on 26 made field goals. I thought we got a little 3-happy early. I thought all the inside-out 3s were good looks, but we've got to do a better job of not shooting off the bounce so much, especially when we have the advantage on the inside. Too many lazy turnovers, as well. Did a good job on the foul line in the second half. They made 20 2-point field goals. They haven't made 20 2-point field goals all year. We did a better job in the second half of running them off the 3-point line. They only made two 3s in the second half. They made some really tough shots. But when you give a team like that confidence, those shots aren't as tough anymore.
"We've got to be better. We need to have a really good week of practice this week, and that starts with me. We've got to respond -- because we obviously have a tough opponent in Purdue coming up next weekend."
ON CHATTANOOGA'S 36 POINTS IN THE PAINT ...
"The scouting report was to make them take those shots. Every shot they took inside the paint, with a one-on-one defender, that's what we wanted. We didn't want to offer help in those situations, because they hadn't shown the ability to make those shots at a very consistent rate this year. Frison, and Billy Smith, and Teddy Washington all did a really good job of making tough 2s. Josh Bowman from Huntsville gave them some really good minutes off the bench. In a 14-point loss, he's zero in plus-minus in 16 minutes. So, lot of step-up from him, which was obviously really good to see, having watched him play with Simon (Walker). But we wanted them to take those shots. That was the game plan, and unfortunately, they made a lot of them. It was able to keep them in the game."
ON KEVIN OVERTON'S INJURY AND SWITCHING THE STARTING LINEUP ...
"I haven't talked to Clark yet, but I think Kevin tweaked his ankle in warmups. I'll find out more, and I'll update you guys this week on that, but it sounds like he tweaked it in warmups and was pretty ginger on it. It showed, because multiple times defensively, he just kind of stopped when he got hit with a screen. I think it was really bothering him, so in the second half, made the decision ultimately to not play him. Because if he's not healthy out there, he can't be the best version of himself.
"As far as the switch in the lineup, just having looked back at our toughest games this year, our starting lineup, analytically, (has) been one of our worst lineups. Part of that is because, in the beginning of the game, everybody's going to be fresh and you're going to be getting their best shot, and we've obviously played a really difficult schedule. We felt like we've got to do a better job of getting others involved, and Elyjah Freeman came into my office and said, 'Listen, I think it would be good if I came off the bench and let Sebastian run in there and start at the 4.' He recognizes how important Sebastian is to winning and how much more he gets others involved.
"Just shows unbelievable growth and maturity from a young man like that, and it's great seeing him play better offensively. Had a couple silly turnovers, but still. Nineteen points, seven rebounds off the bench. Sebastian continues to do the things that he does. Still want more out of him, but that was kind of a collective decision on me and Elyjah's part to make change and see if it would help. I think it helped his performance and his confidence, just because he got more touches off the bench, which was really good. That starting group's still got to do a better job. We were way too lackadaisical in the first five minutes of the game.
ON AUBURN'S 12-0 RUN IN THE SECOND HALF ...
"We got a couple stops, they finally started missing some shots, and I just thought we did a better job of just getting in offense in the half court. Too many times we just kind of, because something was open, just threw it right away instead of getting set up and executing our stuff. Every time we executed our offense, we got everything that we wanted. Too many times, we caught the ball in the high post and we dribbled it. They'd do a great job of coming down and stripping and ripping it. We did a better job of catching it tighter towards the rim and just being more aggressive heading toward the rim and not being as indecisive. We told our guys, 'The only time you should really shoot a 3 is if it's an inside-out 3. The rest of the time, we've got to go inside.' So, did a better job of going inside. We were 24 for 30 from the foul line in the second half, which obviously makes an impact toward the difference."
ON HIS TEAM'S RESPONSE ...
"We've got to respond. Our whole message all year is: How do we get better? We've got to continuously get better, and the last week, we just didn't get better. That's on me as their coach. I've got to do a better job of getting more out of them in practice. It would help if we were healthy. It's hard to really go at your guys when we have two, or three, or four guys out every practice. So, our guys have got to be in that training room with Coach D and Clark just trying to get as healthy as we possibly can, because we're obviously already limited with a few of our reserves not in the lineup right now. It requires guys like Sebastian, and Keyshawn Hall, and Elyjah, and if Tahaad stays out of foul trouble, to play 30, 30-plus minutes. Need more from our bench, which would help. Practice would be a little more productive.
"We had Simon and Blake playing scout team for us this week and I thought it was really good for us because it exposed some things that needed to get exposed. So, needs some more of that. But we just gotta get better in practice and that's the biggest thing I'm looking for this week. How are we going to respond? We responded well after Michigan and this is kind of a similar situation. Like, people are gonna look at this and might have some negative thoughts on how he perform, right? And that's very fair, and they should. You know, you have another, another crazy opportunity on Saturday to go play one of the best coaches in college basketball and one of the best teams in college basketball in a great environment."
ON AUBURN'S PRESS DEFENSE ...
"Yeah, it was the game plan from the beginning. Our guys just got to do a better job of getting into it. But I thought when I had Sebastian and Elyjah face guard the guards, and those were our two best face guards. I should have done that from the very beginning. So I had Keyshawn Hall go to the back line. I had Tahaad protecting those too with Elyjah and Sebastian face guarding. And those were our best guys sitting down in the stance and making plays. So, they did a good job adjusting to it and with a limited bench, they had to play their guards heavy minutes. You know, I thought over a 40 minute game, it would wear them down, and in the last 10 minutes, I thought they'd missed some shots they were making before because I think pressure does take a toll, even if you don't get turnovers, one of the most important parts about pressing teams is it kind of takes their legs out as the game goes on. It makes it tough to make shots if the game goes on. So, our guys did a better job in the second half of being aggressive in it and dictating in it because ultimately, I thought it wore them down."
ON EMEKA OPURUM'S SEASON-ENDING MEDICAL ISSUE ...
"I'm not at liberty to discuss the specifics of that situation right now, just out of respect for his privacy. But I can say the response from the team was obviously, you know, they love Mek. Mek's one of our players' favorite teammates. Everyone had a heavy heart, because they feel for him. He's worked his tail off to go from Africa to junior college, now to Auburn, right? And for him not to be able to finish out the season was tough on everybody. But we all know how Mek is and how he's going to attack this thing. Hopefully it can be a phenomenal comeback story for him. Guys love on Mek and obviously felt for him. I told our guys at halftime, I was like, how can we play like that, when Mek's out for the season? That's just disrespectful to him. I thought they responded decently well in the second half. I thought our guys obviously were upset for Mek. But, understand that he'll come back better."
ON ELYJAH FREEMAN'S GAME ...
"I need to watch the film to kind of see how he was positionally. A couple times he got caught standing up. I just think when he was out there, we were able to run more for him because he wasn't in the game with Tahaad and Keyshawn Hall as much. And that was kind of the whole point of it was, when he's in the game, we kind of make him a primary ball handler because he is good in those positions. So that was kind of the thought process. I still need more out of him defensively, because I think he's capable. He just needs to go out there and just be active and make plays. When he does, he's obviously very effective. So I'm glad he shot six threes tonight, honestly. He needs to be more aggressive shooting the ball when he's open, and I thought he did that tonight. Made his free throws and got three offensive rebounds. So, productive stat line, but he's capable of doing a lot. So I have high expectations for him."
ON PETTIFORD'S 20-POINT SHOWING ...
"Yeah, I mean, he got in early foul trouble in the second half, which I think affected his defense a little bit. He kind of wasn't trying to foul, so he let his man get to the rim a few times. When Tahaad's not in foul trouble, he plays with great energy. He's good defensively, so we need more of that out of him. I'm still going to give him crap — he only had two assists tonight and he had three turnovers. He's got to have a better assist-turnover ratio for us. But it's obviously great to see the ball go in, because we need that from him in order for us to be successful. I need one of my guards to step up as one of our better defenders, and any of them can do it. K.O., Tahaad, Elyjah, Kaden, Simon, any of them can. I'm just going to continue to challenge him and have high expectations for him, but obviously, it makes our lives a lot easier when he's able to make shots out there."
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Auburn’s Elyjah Freeman volunteers for bench role, breaks scoring slump
By Jerry Humphrey III
al.com
Auburn basketball wing Elyjah Freeman came off the bench for the first time this season Saturday against Chattanooga.
With the Tigers starting freshman forward Sebastian Williams-Adams alongside KeShawn Murphy in the frontcourt, Auburn coach Steven Pearl explained postgame how he came up with the decision.
“Elyjah Freeman came into my office and said, ‘Listen, I think it would be good if I came off the bench and let Sebastian run in there and start at the 4.’ He recognizes how important Sebastian is to winning and how much more he gets others involved,” Pearl said postgame.
“Just shows unbelievable growth and maturity from a young man like that, and it’s great seeing him play better offensively, Pearl added. “Still want more out of him, but that was kind of a collective decision on me and Elyjah’s part to make change and see if it would help.”
Freeman went almost a month without scoring 10 or more points in a game. In Saturday’s 92-78 victory against Chattanooga, Freeman scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Despite checking in the game during the first timeout, Freeman did not mind serving in that sixth man role for his team.
“Just communicating with [Steven Pearl] before this game, just trying to figure out what’s best for the team. Putting Sebastian Williams-Adams there, I felt like, as a player, he can play make and help our team with our assist numbers, because we’re trying to get them up,” Freeman said postgame. “Him starting and me coming off the bench, I have no problem with that. I know I’m going to play. Just did what worked, trying something new. Did what I had to do when I came in.”
Williams-Adams finished with eight points, four rebounds and five of Auburn’s 17 total assists in the game.
Even with the spark Williams-Adams provided, Pearl still was not pleased with his team’s effort at the start of the game. However, he also believes that this helped Freeman get his groove after his recent scoring slump.
“I think it helped his (Elyjah Freeman) performance and his confidence, just because he got more touches off the bench, which was really good,” Pearl added. “That starting group still got to do a better job. We were way too lackadaisical in the first five minutes of the game.”
Auburn will be back in action next weekend for the Indy Classic against Purdue.
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Auburn's Emeka Opurum out for season due to medical condition
By Justin Hokanson
Auburn sophomore center Emeka Opurum will miss the rest of the 2025-26 season due to a medical condition, the program announced Saturday. Steven Pearl emphasized that the staff’s focus is on Opurum’s health and expressed confidence he will fully recover and return next year.
“Our priority is Emeka’s health and wellbeing,” Pearl said. “We look forward to Emeka making a full recovery and returning next season.”
Opurum, a transfer from Butler Community College, appeared in six games and averaged 3.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 9.6 minutes per game.
“Yeah, I love Mek, man. He’s so coachable, and he’s such a wonderful kid. I got so much love for Mek,” Pearl said of Opurum directly before the team traveled to Las Vegas for the Players Era Tournament. “He’s just such a sponge, such a coachable kid. I mean, I think he’s played well in games that he’s supposed to play well.
“His whole thing is just got to stay right and stay ready…He’s got to be ready to go out there and give us quality minutes, whether there’s injury or foul trouble or we just need an extra body out there. I know he will be because he prepares with the best of them. And he’ll be excited and ready to go.”
Opurum was averaging just nine minutes per game, but he provided valuable depth in case of foul trouble or injuries. His absence will place added pressure on Auburn’s remaining big men to stay healthy and productive.
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How Steven Pearl’s halftime speech about Emeka Opurum transformed Auburn’s performance
By Jerry Humphrey III
al.com
Auburn coach Steven Pearl announced that the Tigers will be without sophomore center Emeka Opurum for the remainder of the season.
Pearl reported the injury as an ‘undisclosed medical condition’ prior to Saturday’s tipoff against Chattanooga. However, postgame Pearl shared the team reaction to losing a vital piece to the Tigers frontcourt.
“[Emeka Opurum] is one of our players’ favorite teammates. Everyone had a heavy heart, because they feel for him. He’s worked his tail off to go from Africa to junior college, now to Auburn, right? And for him not to be able to finish out the season was tough on everybody,” Pearl said postgame.
https://twitter.com/aldotcomTigers/status/1999903738295644350?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1999903738295644350%7Ctwgr%5Ef22b6e027fc883a7f9e4fc13db5c25993cb2ea9e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.al.com%2Fauburnbasketball%2F2025%2F12%2Fhow-steven-pearls-halftime-speech-about-emeka-opurum-transformed-auburns-performance.html
“But we all know how Emeka is and how he’s going to attack this thing,” Pearl added. “Hopefully it can be a phenomenal comeback story for him. Guys love on Emeka and obviously felt for him.”
The 7-footer out of Butler Community College averaged 9.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game prior to transferring to Auburn. He was also named the KJCC Defensive Player of the Year in 2025.
Opurum played in six games this year for Auburn, averaging 3.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks a game while playing 9.6 minutes a contest.
Pearl even used Emeka’s situation to motivate the Tigers at halftime. Auburn led Chattanooga by just five points and the Tigers’ committed six turnovers in the first half alone.
Auburn came out in the second half with a 14-2 run that helped Auburn to its 92-78 victory over the Mocs.
“I told our guys at halftime, I was like, how can we play like that, when Emeka is out for the season? That’s just disrespectful to him,” Pearl added. “I thought they responded decently well in the second half. I thought our guys obviously were upset for Emeka. But understand that he’ll come back better.”
Auburn’s frontcourt will now rely on KeShawn Murphy, Sebastian Williams-Adams and Filip Jovic as their primary big men. Stretch forwards like Keyshawn Hall and Elyjah Freeman will have to rotate down low in some rotations with Opurum out.
The Tigers will travel to Indianapolis, Indiana, for their Indy Classic matchup against Purdue next weekend.
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3 takeaways from Auburn basketball’s Hoopsgiving victory vs Chattanooga
By Jerry Humphrey III
al.com
Auburn basketball improves to 8-3 on the season after defeating Chattanooga 92-78 in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event in Atlanta, Georgia.
Keyshawn Hall led the Tigers with 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, as the transfer senior continues to put together an incredible start to the 2025 season.
The Tigers will travel to face Purdue next week in the Indy Classic for its next game.
Here are three takeaways from Auburn’s victory against Chattanooga Saturday evening.
Slow defensive start for Auburn
Auburn led Chattanooga by just five points at the halftime break, as the Mocs scored on nine of their last 15 shots to close out the first half.
Chattanooga also scored nine points on fastbreak opportunities while Auburn led the first half with six turnovers. The Mocs were led by starting guard Teddy Washington Jr. 10 first points, missing just 10 shots in the first 20 minutes of the contest.
Elyjah Freeman and Hall combined for 22 points at the break for Auburn, as the Tigers shot the ball fairly well going into the break at 52% from the floor.
The Mocs shot 44% from the floor and drilled five 3-pointers that Auburn failed to closeout on in transition. Chattanooga also led the half with five steals, which helped cut its 13-point deficit to single digits by the end of the first half.
Auburn build momentum off second half run
Chattanooga came out the halftime break on a 6-0 run and forced three more turnovers on Auburn in the first 2:37 of the second half. The Tigers would go on to finish the game with 13 total turnovers.
Auburn quickly flipped the script, putting together an 16-2 run of its own and held the Mocs scoreless over the next 4:17 play, extending the Tigers lead back to double digits.
The Tigers shot 45.5% as a team in the second half alone and scored 11 points off of five Chattanooga turnovers. The Mocs finished with just one turnover committed in the first half, as Freeman was responsible for the Tiges only steal of the game.
Tahaad Pettiford finished with 20 points and Freeman added 19 points, scoring nine points in the second half for Auburn.
Auburn’s Frontcourt holds its own despite pregame injury news
Auburn coach Steven Pearl announced that sophomore center Emeka Opurum will miss the remainder of the season due to an undisclosed medical condition.
In his absence, Auburn started KeShawn Murphy and Sebastian Williams-Adams down low, as Freeman served as the sixth man while Hall played at the small forward spot.
Despite the smaller lineup, the Tigers dominated the glass outrebounding Chattanooga 42-20. Hall, Murphy and Freeman combined for 27 of those rebounds for Auburn.
The Moc scored just as many points in the paints as Auburn. However, the Tigers led with 16 second chance points and 31 points coming from the bench.
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Auburn women come up just short at Seton Hall
By Wes Todd
Kaitlyn Duhon scored a career-high 20 points including five 3-pointers, but Seton Hall out-shot Auburn in the second half as the Tigers fell 69-63 on a snowy day in New Jersey.
Auburn (8-3) hit a season-high 11 3-pointers, but Seton Hall (6-3) was one better, hitting a season-high 12 of their own as the Pirates held off the Tigers’ comeback bid.
“We knew this stretch was going to be tough, but we’ve got to do a better job of starting basketball games,” Auburn head coach Larry Vickers said. “We’ve owned the first five minutes of every game, and today we did not. These two-hour basketball games, we’ve just got to do a better job of understanding every play means something.
“The second quarter was a little slow. This is back-to-back games we came out in the second quarter and just haven’t been locked in. We did some uncharacteristic things in the fourth quarter, gave up some untimely 3s in some bad spots. We’ve got to realize we’re going to play defense as a team and help each other. There’s a lot of one-on-one defense right now, and we’ve got to stop that.”
Trailing by seven with just over three minutes to play, the Tigers got within one on a Ja’Mia Harris 3-pointer – Auburn’s 11th of the day – with 1:49 remaining, cutting the deficit to 62-61. Seton Hall answered with a trey of their own to move back up by four just 20 seconds later.
Khady Leye got to the rim for a layup to make it 65-63 with under a minute to play, but for the second straight possession, the Pirates got an open look at 3 and nailed it, pushing the lead back to five. Auburn was unable to answer.
Duhon was a perfect 5-for-5 from 3-point range and also pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds.
Harris had 17 points with a pair of treys to go along with seven rebounds. A’riel Jackson finished with 10 points and a team-best four assists, and Khady Leye had eight points and seven rebounds.
After a difficult first half, the Tigers shot 52 percent in the second half (14-of-27), including a 7-of-13 clip (53.8%) from 3-point range. But free throws were an issue as the Tigers missed six second-half attempts and went 6-of-12 for the game.
Auburn won the rebounding battle 36-34, but Seton Hall turned 17 Tiger turnovers into 17 points while the Tigers were unable to get much going in transition, scoring just nine points off 15 Pirate turnovers.
After a first-minute Leye bucket put Auburn on the board, the Tigers went cold as Seton Hall built an 11-2 lead in the first four-plus minutes.
But the Tigers bounced back after a quick Vickers timeout, going on an 11-2 run of their own – paced by a pair of Sania Richardson 3-pointers - to close the period with the score tied at 13-all.
It was 15-all early in the second quarter before the Pirates went on a 12-2 run over the next four-plus minute to build a 27-18 lead.
Auburn scored twice on its next two possessions to get back within five as Seton Hall didn’t score for nearly four minutes. But a Pirate trey ended the drought, and Seton Hall took a 32-24 halftime lead.
The Pirate lead would grow to as many as 11 early in the third, but Auburn would go on a 13-4 run to get it back to a one-possession game at 41-39 with 3:19 left. It would be a 50-47 Seton Hall lead after three.
Mariana Valenzuela led Seton Hall with 20 points, and Savannah Catalon added 15. Each knocked down four 3-pointers on the day.
Auburn is back in action Tuesday, Dec. 16, on the road at Middle Tennessee. Game time is 6:30 p.m. at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Keyshawn Hall's double-double leads No. 21 Auburn over Chattanooga:
https://auburntigers.com/news/2025/12/13/keyshawn-halls-double-double-leads-no-21-auburn-over-chattanooga
Pearl on frustrating win over Chattanooga: 'They were the more excited team to play':
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/longformarticle/auburn-basketball-steven-pearl-tigers-chattanooga-press-conference-keyshawn-hall-266403814/#2767234
Auburn’s Elyjah Freeman volunteers for bench role, breaks scoring slump:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2025/12/will-elyjah-freeman-become-auburn-basketballs-primary-sixth-man.html
Auburn's Emeka Opurum out for season due to medical condition:
https://www.on3.com/teams/auburn-tigers/news/auburns-emeka-opurum-out-for-season-due-to-medical-condition/
How Steven Pearl’s halftime speech about Emeka Opurum transformed Auburn’s performance:
https://www.al.com/auburnbasketball/2025/12/how-steven-pearls-halftime-speech-about-emeka-opurum-transformed-auburns-performance.html
3 takeaways from Auburn basketball’s Hoopsgiving victory vs Chattanooga:
https://www.al.com/auburnbasketball/2025/12/3-takeaways-from-auburn-basketballs-hoopsgiving-victory-vs-chattanooga.html
Auburn women come up just short at Seton Hall:
https://auburntigers.com/news/2025/12/14/auburn-women-come-up-just-short-at-seton-hall
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Keyshawn Hall's double-double leads No. 21 Auburn over Chattanooga
By Jeff Shearer
No. 21 Auburn used the big three of Keyshawn Hall, Tahaad Pettiford and Elyjah Freeman along with a dominating rebounding performance to defeat upset-minded Chattanooga 92-78 Saturday in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event at State Farm Arena.
“Happy with the result but really disappointed in the process,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl. “Didn’t have the pop we needed tonight. Our defense has got to be better.”
Hall registered his fifth double-double of the season, leading the Tigers with 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
“I was trying to dish to other guys, let them hit some shots. My biggest thing every game is I always try to crash the rebounds. That gets me going,” said Hall, who made 11 of 14 free-throw attempts. “If I can do that, it elevates my game. We’re going to have to pick it up before the next game.”
Pettiford scored eight of his 20 points in the final 37 seconds, and Freeman chipped in 19 points and seven rebounds off the bench after suggesting freshman Sebastian Williams-Adams start in his place.
“Trying to figure out what’s best for the team,” Freeman said of his team-first recommendation. “Putting SWA (Williams-Adams) there, he can play-make and help our team with our assist numbers because we’ve been trying to get them up. Him starting and me coming off the bench, I don’t have a problem with that, and I know I’m going to play.”
Auburn outrebounded the smaller Mocs 42-20, enjoying a 16-7 advantage in second-chance points.
KeShawn Murphy contributed nine points and nine rebounds. Williams-Adams added eight points, four rebounds and five assists.
Leading by five points at the half, Auburn saw Chattanooga pull within one point three times early in the second half before a 12-0 run gave the Tigers a 14-point lead with 11:07 to play on a pair of Williams-Adams free throws.
Freeman’s steal and layup gave the Tigers a 16-point lead before Chattanooga used a 7-0 run to cut Auburn’s lead to single digits.
Freeman and Pettiford hit 3-pointers 36 seconds apart to take the lead back to double digits in a game Auburn never trailed.
In the first half, Pettiford gave the Tigers a 13-point lead with a 3-pointer with 8:50 remaining before the Mocs got within two in the final minute.
“We’ve got to do a better job on that (defensive) side of creating havoc and trying to create turnovers,” Pearl said. “I’ve got to get back to the drawing board and figure out how I can make this team better defensively.”
Freeman beat the buzzer to give Auburn a 43-38 halftime lead. Hall paced the Tigers with 12 first-half points and five rebounds, helping Auburn outrebound Chattanooga 22-10 in the opening half.
“We know our potential, so we just have to lock in and have that same effort the whole game,” Hall said.
Jordan Frison scored 20 points for Chattanooga (5-6).
Auburn (8-3) has a week to get ready for its next high-profile opponent. The Tigers take on No. 6 Purdue next Saturday at 5:30 p.m. CT in Indianapolis, Indiana.
GAME NOTES
Auburn leads Chattanooga 4-2 all-time. The Tigers have won four of the last five in the series.
The Tigers are 7-2 in State Farm Arena all-time, including 5-1 in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event, and the Tigers have won five straight games in the venue.
Auburn started Tahaad Pettiford, Kevin Overton, Keyshawn Hall, KeShawn Murphy and Sebastian Williams-Adams. It is the first time the group has started together this season.
With its 92-point effort, Auburn topped the 90-point mark for the fifth time this season. On the season, the Tigers have scored 951 points, which is the fourth-most points through 11 games in program history (1,036 points in 1991-92, 974 points in 2024-25 and 964 points in 2000-01).
Auburn went 11-of-30 from 3-point range, marking the third time this season the Tigers have made at least 11 3-pointers (13 vs. Jackson State and 12 vs. NC State).
Auburn went 29-of-37 from the free throw line on Saturday, making 17 straight from the charity stripe after making its final three free throws of the first half and the first 14 of the second half.
The 29 made free throws are a season high, topping the Tigers’ 27 free throws from each of the first two games of the year against Bethune-Cookman and Merrimack. Over the last four games, Auburn has gone 89-of-109 (81.7 percent) from the free throw line, going at least 78.4 percent from the line in all four contests.
Auburn recorded 17 assists on 26 made field goals, which is the second most this season as a team.
Auburn outrebounded Chattanooga, 42-20. The plus-22 rebounding margin is the Tigers’ second-best mark of the season (+31 vs. Jackson State). The Tigers are 7-0 when outrebounding an opponent this season.
Keyshawn Hall (22), Tahaad Pettiford (20) and Elyjah Freeman (19) led Auburn in scoring, combining to score 61 of Auburn’s 92 points.
Hall recorded his fifth double-double and his fifth 20-point, 10-rebound game of the season with 22 points and 11 rebounds to go with six assists and one block in 36 minutes. He went over 1,400 career points in the game, finishing with 1,407 points.
Pettiford recorded his second consecutive 20-point game as he finished with 20 points in 30 minutes, including 14 in the second half.
It is the fourth time this season Auburn has had two 20-point scorers in a game, including the second time Hall and Pettiford have done it in the same game.
Freeman scored 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers, and 3-of-3 from the foul line, and he added seven rebounds and one steal in 33 minutes. It is his 31st career game in double figures (third this season) as he was two points shy of his season high 21 points against Wofford.
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Pearl on frustrating win over Chattanooga: 'They were the more excited team to play'
By Nathan King
Auburn's eighth win of the season didn't come without some hair-pulling from the Tigers, who ultimately fended off Chattanooga 92-78 on Saturday evening after some struggles on defense, mainly in the first half. Keyshawn Hall and Tahaad Pettiford combined for 42 points, and Auburn made 11 3-pointers, but the Moccasins were tough to put away. Auburn's 13 turnovers didn't help.
Here's everything Pearl had to say after the Tigers' victory, as Auburn now has another full week of rest before facing No. 6 Purdue next Saturday.
OPENING REMARKS ...
"I'm never gonna sit here and complain about a win. Happy with the result, but really disappointed in the process. I thought we had three good days of practice this week to get ready and prepare for a team that was going to come out and play with their hair on fair. And we didn't get that, I don't think. That's on us as a coaching staff. We've got to be able to get more out of guys in practice, in preparation and in these games. I thought we prepared like that, and we came out in the first five minutes like that. When you give a team like that confidence early in games -- a team that has absolutely nothing to lose -- it makes them believe they can stick around in the game, and ultimately they did.
"Credit to Coach Earl and his staff. They did a really good job of switching some things up defensively. They did a lot more switching off the ball; they ran 3-2 zone basically the entire game. With such a limited front line, they did a really good job finding ways to bother us and turn us over. So I thought they did a really good job getting their guys ready, and they played with great effort and energy. I thought they were the more excited team to play. I've got to do a better job as their coach of getting these guys fired up to play in these types of games. One of the things you worry about with a team of 10 new guys: You've got to be able to win all the games you're supposed to. That was a game we're supposed to win. It was a one-possession game in the second half, then we go on a run.
"Defensively in the first half, all we talked about was when they penetrate, you've got to find your man because they do a great job of drive-draw dishing. There were 15 or 20 occurrences where we just got caught staring at the ball. And they made five 3s. You can't let a team like that get confident from 3. They had one turnover at halftime, so we did a terrible job dictating what they do. We're just kind of letting teams run their offense. Our guards have got to be better one-on-one defenders, though. A big problem is we need to be able to rely on our guards to keep their man in front. We're just not able to do that. And a team like this, you can't offer help. If you do, they do a great job finding the open man, and they make you pay for it.
"Offensively, they were at such a disadvantage because of their size that, any time we ran some semblance of offense and executed it, we got whatever we wanted. We had 17 assists on 26 made field goals. I thought we got a little 3-happy early. I thought all the inside-out 3s were good looks, but we've got to do a better job of not shooting off the bounce so much, especially when we have the advantage on the inside. Too many lazy turnovers, as well. Did a good job on the foul line in the second half. They made 20 2-point field goals. They haven't made 20 2-point field goals all year. We did a better job in the second half of running them off the 3-point line. They only made two 3s in the second half. They made some really tough shots. But when you give a team like that confidence, those shots aren't as tough anymore.
"We've got to be better. We need to have a really good week of practice this week, and that starts with me. We've got to respond -- because we obviously have a tough opponent in Purdue coming up next weekend."
ON CHATTANOOGA'S 36 POINTS IN THE PAINT ...
"The scouting report was to make them take those shots. Every shot they took inside the paint, with a one-on-one defender, that's what we wanted. We didn't want to offer help in those situations, because they hadn't shown the ability to make those shots at a very consistent rate this year. Frison, and Billy Smith, and Teddy Washington all did a really good job of making tough 2s. Josh Bowman from Huntsville gave them some really good minutes off the bench. In a 14-point loss, he's zero in plus-minus in 16 minutes. So, lot of step-up from him, which was obviously really good to see, having watched him play with Simon (Walker). But we wanted them to take those shots. That was the game plan, and unfortunately, they made a lot of them. It was able to keep them in the game."
ON KEVIN OVERTON'S INJURY AND SWITCHING THE STARTING LINEUP ...
"I haven't talked to Clark yet, but I think Kevin tweaked his ankle in warmups. I'll find out more, and I'll update you guys this week on that, but it sounds like he tweaked it in warmups and was pretty ginger on it. It showed, because multiple times defensively, he just kind of stopped when he got hit with a screen. I think it was really bothering him, so in the second half, made the decision ultimately to not play him. Because if he's not healthy out there, he can't be the best version of himself.
"As far as the switch in the lineup, just having looked back at our toughest games this year, our starting lineup, analytically, (has) been one of our worst lineups. Part of that is because, in the beginning of the game, everybody's going to be fresh and you're going to be getting their best shot, and we've obviously played a really difficult schedule. We felt like we've got to do a better job of getting others involved, and Elyjah Freeman came into my office and said, 'Listen, I think it would be good if I came off the bench and let Sebastian run in there and start at the 4.' He recognizes how important Sebastian is to winning and how much more he gets others involved.
"Just shows unbelievable growth and maturity from a young man like that, and it's great seeing him play better offensively. Had a couple silly turnovers, but still. Nineteen points, seven rebounds off the bench. Sebastian continues to do the things that he does. Still want more out of him, but that was kind of a collective decision on me and Elyjah's part to make change and see if it would help. I think it helped his performance and his confidence, just because he got more touches off the bench, which was really good. That starting group's still got to do a better job. We were way too lackadaisical in the first five minutes of the game.
ON AUBURN'S 12-0 RUN IN THE SECOND HALF ...
"We got a couple stops, they finally started missing some shots, and I just thought we did a better job of just getting in offense in the half court. Too many times we just kind of, because something was open, just threw it right away instead of getting set up and executing our stuff. Every time we executed our offense, we got everything that we wanted. Too many times, we caught the ball in the high post and we dribbled it. They'd do a great job of coming down and stripping and ripping it. We did a better job of catching it tighter towards the rim and just being more aggressive heading toward the rim and not being as indecisive. We told our guys, 'The only time you should really shoot a 3 is if it's an inside-out 3. The rest of the time, we've got to go inside.' So, did a better job of going inside. We were 24 for 30 from the foul line in the second half, which obviously makes an impact toward the difference."
ON HIS TEAM'S RESPONSE ...
"We've got to respond. Our whole message all year is: How do we get better? We've got to continuously get better, and the last week, we just didn't get better. That's on me as their coach. I've got to do a better job of getting more out of them in practice. It would help if we were healthy. It's hard to really go at your guys when we have two, or three, or four guys out every practice. So, our guys have got to be in that training room with Coach D and Clark just trying to get as healthy as we possibly can, because we're obviously already limited with a few of our reserves not in the lineup right now. It requires guys like Sebastian, and Keyshawn Hall, and Elyjah, and if Tahaad stays out of foul trouble, to play 30, 30-plus minutes. Need more from our bench, which would help. Practice would be a little more productive.
"We had Simon and Blake playing scout team for us this week and I thought it was really good for us because it exposed some things that needed to get exposed. So, needs some more of that. But we just gotta get better in practice and that's the biggest thing I'm looking for this week. How are we going to respond? We responded well after Michigan and this is kind of a similar situation. Like, people are gonna look at this and might have some negative thoughts on how he perform, right? And that's very fair, and they should. You know, you have another, another crazy opportunity on Saturday to go play one of the best coaches in college basketball and one of the best teams in college basketball in a great environment."
ON AUBURN'S PRESS DEFENSE ...
"Yeah, it was the game plan from the beginning. Our guys just got to do a better job of getting into it. But I thought when I had Sebastian and Elyjah face guard the guards, and those were our two best face guards. I should have done that from the very beginning. So I had Keyshawn Hall go to the back line. I had Tahaad protecting those too with Elyjah and Sebastian face guarding. And those were our best guys sitting down in the stance and making plays. So, they did a good job adjusting to it and with a limited bench, they had to play their guards heavy minutes. You know, I thought over a 40 minute game, it would wear them down, and in the last 10 minutes, I thought they'd missed some shots they were making before because I think pressure does take a toll, even if you don't get turnovers, one of the most important parts about pressing teams is it kind of takes their legs out as the game goes on. It makes it tough to make shots if the game goes on. So, our guys did a better job in the second half of being aggressive in it and dictating in it because ultimately, I thought it wore them down."
ON EMEKA OPURUM'S SEASON-ENDING MEDICAL ISSUE ...
"I'm not at liberty to discuss the specifics of that situation right now, just out of respect for his privacy. But I can say the response from the team was obviously, you know, they love Mek. Mek's one of our players' favorite teammates. Everyone had a heavy heart, because they feel for him. He's worked his tail off to go from Africa to junior college, now to Auburn, right? And for him not to be able to finish out the season was tough on everybody. But we all know how Mek is and how he's going to attack this thing. Hopefully it can be a phenomenal comeback story for him. Guys love on Mek and obviously felt for him. I told our guys at halftime, I was like, how can we play like that, when Mek's out for the season? That's just disrespectful to him. I thought they responded decently well in the second half. I thought our guys obviously were upset for Mek. But, understand that he'll come back better."
ON ELYJAH FREEMAN'S GAME ...
"I need to watch the film to kind of see how he was positionally. A couple times he got caught standing up. I just think when he was out there, we were able to run more for him because he wasn't in the game with Tahaad and Keyshawn Hall as much. And that was kind of the whole point of it was, when he's in the game, we kind of make him a primary ball handler because he is good in those positions. So that was kind of the thought process. I still need more out of him defensively, because I think he's capable. He just needs to go out there and just be active and make plays. When he does, he's obviously very effective. So I'm glad he shot six threes tonight, honestly. He needs to be more aggressive shooting the ball when he's open, and I thought he did that tonight. Made his free throws and got three offensive rebounds. So, productive stat line, but he's capable of doing a lot. So I have high expectations for him."
ON PETTIFORD'S 20-POINT SHOWING ...
"Yeah, I mean, he got in early foul trouble in the second half, which I think affected his defense a little bit. He kind of wasn't trying to foul, so he let his man get to the rim a few times. When Tahaad's not in foul trouble, he plays with great energy. He's good defensively, so we need more of that out of him. I'm still going to give him crap — he only had two assists tonight and he had three turnovers. He's got to have a better assist-turnover ratio for us. But it's obviously great to see the ball go in, because we need that from him in order for us to be successful. I need one of my guards to step up as one of our better defenders, and any of them can do it. K.O., Tahaad, Elyjah, Kaden, Simon, any of them can. I'm just going to continue to challenge him and have high expectations for him, but obviously, it makes our lives a lot easier when he's able to make shots out there."
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Auburn’s Elyjah Freeman volunteers for bench role, breaks scoring slump
By Jerry Humphrey III
al.com
Auburn basketball wing Elyjah Freeman came off the bench for the first time this season Saturday against Chattanooga.
With the Tigers starting freshman forward Sebastian Williams-Adams alongside KeShawn Murphy in the frontcourt, Auburn coach Steven Pearl explained postgame how he came up with the decision.
“Elyjah Freeman came into my office and said, ‘Listen, I think it would be good if I came off the bench and let Sebastian run in there and start at the 4.’ He recognizes how important Sebastian is to winning and how much more he gets others involved,” Pearl said postgame.
“Just shows unbelievable growth and maturity from a young man like that, and it’s great seeing him play better offensively, Pearl added. “Still want more out of him, but that was kind of a collective decision on me and Elyjah’s part to make change and see if it would help.”
Freeman went almost a month without scoring 10 or more points in a game. In Saturday’s 92-78 victory against Chattanooga, Freeman scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Despite checking in the game during the first timeout, Freeman did not mind serving in that sixth man role for his team.
“Just communicating with [Steven Pearl] before this game, just trying to figure out what’s best for the team. Putting Sebastian Williams-Adams there, I felt like, as a player, he can play make and help our team with our assist numbers, because we’re trying to get them up,” Freeman said postgame. “Him starting and me coming off the bench, I have no problem with that. I know I’m going to play. Just did what worked, trying something new. Did what I had to do when I came in.”
Williams-Adams finished with eight points, four rebounds and five of Auburn’s 17 total assists in the game.
Even with the spark Williams-Adams provided, Pearl still was not pleased with his team’s effort at the start of the game. However, he also believes that this helped Freeman get his groove after his recent scoring slump.
“I think it helped his (Elyjah Freeman) performance and his confidence, just because he got more touches off the bench, which was really good,” Pearl added. “That starting group still got to do a better job. We were way too lackadaisical in the first five minutes of the game.”
Auburn will be back in action next weekend for the Indy Classic against Purdue.
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Auburn's Emeka Opurum out for season due to medical condition
By Justin Hokanson
Auburn sophomore center Emeka Opurum will miss the rest of the 2025-26 season due to a medical condition, the program announced Saturday. Steven Pearl emphasized that the staff’s focus is on Opurum’s health and expressed confidence he will fully recover and return next year.
“Our priority is Emeka’s health and wellbeing,” Pearl said. “We look forward to Emeka making a full recovery and returning next season.”
Opurum, a transfer from Butler Community College, appeared in six games and averaged 3.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 9.6 minutes per game.
“Yeah, I love Mek, man. He’s so coachable, and he’s such a wonderful kid. I got so much love for Mek,” Pearl said of Opurum directly before the team traveled to Las Vegas for the Players Era Tournament. “He’s just such a sponge, such a coachable kid. I mean, I think he’s played well in games that he’s supposed to play well.
“His whole thing is just got to stay right and stay ready…He’s got to be ready to go out there and give us quality minutes, whether there’s injury or foul trouble or we just need an extra body out there. I know he will be because he prepares with the best of them. And he’ll be excited and ready to go.”
Opurum was averaging just nine minutes per game, but he provided valuable depth in case of foul trouble or injuries. His absence will place added pressure on Auburn’s remaining big men to stay healthy and productive.
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How Steven Pearl’s halftime speech about Emeka Opurum transformed Auburn’s performance
By Jerry Humphrey III
al.com
Auburn coach Steven Pearl announced that the Tigers will be without sophomore center Emeka Opurum for the remainder of the season.
Pearl reported the injury as an ‘undisclosed medical condition’ prior to Saturday’s tipoff against Chattanooga. However, postgame Pearl shared the team reaction to losing a vital piece to the Tigers frontcourt.
“[Emeka Opurum] is one of our players’ favorite teammates. Everyone had a heavy heart, because they feel for him. He’s worked his tail off to go from Africa to junior college, now to Auburn, right? And for him not to be able to finish out the season was tough on everybody,” Pearl said postgame.
https://twitter.com/aldotcomTigers/status/1999903738295644350?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1999903738295644350%7Ctwgr%5Ef22b6e027fc883a7f9e4fc13db5c25993cb2ea9e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.al.com%2Fauburnbasketball%2F2025%2F12%2Fhow-steven-pearls-halftime-speech-about-emeka-opurum-transformed-auburns-performance.html
“But we all know how Emeka is and how he’s going to attack this thing,” Pearl added. “Hopefully it can be a phenomenal comeback story for him. Guys love on Emeka and obviously felt for him.”
The 7-footer out of Butler Community College averaged 9.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game prior to transferring to Auburn. He was also named the KJCC Defensive Player of the Year in 2025.
Opurum played in six games this year for Auburn, averaging 3.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks a game while playing 9.6 minutes a contest.
Pearl even used Emeka’s situation to motivate the Tigers at halftime. Auburn led Chattanooga by just five points and the Tigers’ committed six turnovers in the first half alone.
Auburn came out in the second half with a 14-2 run that helped Auburn to its 92-78 victory over the Mocs.
“I told our guys at halftime, I was like, how can we play like that, when Emeka is out for the season? That’s just disrespectful to him,” Pearl added. “I thought they responded decently well in the second half. I thought our guys obviously were upset for Emeka. But understand that he’ll come back better.”
Auburn’s frontcourt will now rely on KeShawn Murphy, Sebastian Williams-Adams and Filip Jovic as their primary big men. Stretch forwards like Keyshawn Hall and Elyjah Freeman will have to rotate down low in some rotations with Opurum out.
The Tigers will travel to Indianapolis, Indiana, for their Indy Classic matchup against Purdue next weekend.
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3 takeaways from Auburn basketball’s Hoopsgiving victory vs Chattanooga
By Jerry Humphrey III
al.com
Auburn basketball improves to 8-3 on the season after defeating Chattanooga 92-78 in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event in Atlanta, Georgia.
Keyshawn Hall led the Tigers with 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, as the transfer senior continues to put together an incredible start to the 2025 season.
The Tigers will travel to face Purdue next week in the Indy Classic for its next game.
Here are three takeaways from Auburn’s victory against Chattanooga Saturday evening.
Slow defensive start for Auburn
Auburn led Chattanooga by just five points at the halftime break, as the Mocs scored on nine of their last 15 shots to close out the first half.
Chattanooga also scored nine points on fastbreak opportunities while Auburn led the first half with six turnovers. The Mocs were led by starting guard Teddy Washington Jr. 10 first points, missing just 10 shots in the first 20 minutes of the contest.
Elyjah Freeman and Hall combined for 22 points at the break for Auburn, as the Tigers shot the ball fairly well going into the break at 52% from the floor.
The Mocs shot 44% from the floor and drilled five 3-pointers that Auburn failed to closeout on in transition. Chattanooga also led the half with five steals, which helped cut its 13-point deficit to single digits by the end of the first half.
Auburn build momentum off second half run
Chattanooga came out the halftime break on a 6-0 run and forced three more turnovers on Auburn in the first 2:37 of the second half. The Tigers would go on to finish the game with 13 total turnovers.
Auburn quickly flipped the script, putting together an 16-2 run of its own and held the Mocs scoreless over the next 4:17 play, extending the Tigers lead back to double digits.
The Tigers shot 45.5% as a team in the second half alone and scored 11 points off of five Chattanooga turnovers. The Mocs finished with just one turnover committed in the first half, as Freeman was responsible for the Tiges only steal of the game.
Tahaad Pettiford finished with 20 points and Freeman added 19 points, scoring nine points in the second half for Auburn.
Auburn’s Frontcourt holds its own despite pregame injury news
Auburn coach Steven Pearl announced that sophomore center Emeka Opurum will miss the remainder of the season due to an undisclosed medical condition.
In his absence, Auburn started KeShawn Murphy and Sebastian Williams-Adams down low, as Freeman served as the sixth man while Hall played at the small forward spot.
Despite the smaller lineup, the Tigers dominated the glass outrebounding Chattanooga 42-20. Hall, Murphy and Freeman combined for 27 of those rebounds for Auburn.
The Moc scored just as many points in the paints as Auburn. However, the Tigers led with 16 second chance points and 31 points coming from the bench.
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Auburn women come up just short at Seton Hall
By Wes Todd
Kaitlyn Duhon scored a career-high 20 points including five 3-pointers, but Seton Hall out-shot Auburn in the second half as the Tigers fell 69-63 on a snowy day in New Jersey.
Auburn (8-3) hit a season-high 11 3-pointers, but Seton Hall (6-3) was one better, hitting a season-high 12 of their own as the Pirates held off the Tigers’ comeback bid.
“We knew this stretch was going to be tough, but we’ve got to do a better job of starting basketball games,” Auburn head coach Larry Vickers said. “We’ve owned the first five minutes of every game, and today we did not. These two-hour basketball games, we’ve just got to do a better job of understanding every play means something.
“The second quarter was a little slow. This is back-to-back games we came out in the second quarter and just haven’t been locked in. We did some uncharacteristic things in the fourth quarter, gave up some untimely 3s in some bad spots. We’ve got to realize we’re going to play defense as a team and help each other. There’s a lot of one-on-one defense right now, and we’ve got to stop that.”
Trailing by seven with just over three minutes to play, the Tigers got within one on a Ja’Mia Harris 3-pointer – Auburn’s 11th of the day – with 1:49 remaining, cutting the deficit to 62-61. Seton Hall answered with a trey of their own to move back up by four just 20 seconds later.
Khady Leye got to the rim for a layup to make it 65-63 with under a minute to play, but for the second straight possession, the Pirates got an open look at 3 and nailed it, pushing the lead back to five. Auburn was unable to answer.
Duhon was a perfect 5-for-5 from 3-point range and also pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds.
Harris had 17 points with a pair of treys to go along with seven rebounds. A’riel Jackson finished with 10 points and a team-best four assists, and Khady Leye had eight points and seven rebounds.
After a difficult first half, the Tigers shot 52 percent in the second half (14-of-27), including a 7-of-13 clip (53.8%) from 3-point range. But free throws were an issue as the Tigers missed six second-half attempts and went 6-of-12 for the game.
Auburn won the rebounding battle 36-34, but Seton Hall turned 17 Tiger turnovers into 17 points while the Tigers were unable to get much going in transition, scoring just nine points off 15 Pirate turnovers.
After a first-minute Leye bucket put Auburn on the board, the Tigers went cold as Seton Hall built an 11-2 lead in the first four-plus minutes.
But the Tigers bounced back after a quick Vickers timeout, going on an 11-2 run of their own – paced by a pair of Sania Richardson 3-pointers - to close the period with the score tied at 13-all.
It was 15-all early in the second quarter before the Pirates went on a 12-2 run over the next four-plus minute to build a 27-18 lead.
Auburn scored twice on its next two possessions to get back within five as Seton Hall didn’t score for nearly four minutes. But a Pirate trey ended the drought, and Seton Hall took a 32-24 halftime lead.
The Pirate lead would grow to as many as 11 early in the third, but Auburn would go on a 13-4 run to get it back to a one-possession game at 41-39 with 3:19 left. It would be a 50-47 Seton Hall lead after three.
Mariana Valenzuela led Seton Hall with 20 points, and Savannah Catalon added 15. Each knocked down four 3-pointers on the day.
Auburn is back in action Tuesday, Dec. 16, on the road at Middle Tennessee. Game time is 6:30 p.m. at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
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