Auburn Triumphs Over Texas in Thrilling 87-82 Showdown: Game Highlights from January 7, 2025

AUSTIN, Texas — — Johni Broome contributed 20 points and 12 rebounds as No. 2 Auburn fended off a late surge from Texas for an 87-82 triumph on Tuesday night, marking coach Bruce Pearl’s record-setting win at the school.

Auburn (14-1, 2-0 SEC) was ahead by 21 in the second half and exerted its dominance over the Longhorns with its size and length for extended periods. However, they watched as Texas countered, rallying behind Arthur Kaluma and Jordan Pope to narrow the gap to three points in the final moments.

Denver Jones and Tahaad Pettiford successfully converted four free throws in the last 17 seconds to secure the victory.

Pearl achieved his 214th win in his 11th season at Auburn, surpassing Joel Eaves, who led the Tigers from 1949 to 1963.

Kaluma scored 34 points for Texas (11-4, 0-2) on an impressive 12-of-16 shooting performance. Pope netted 17 of his 19 points in the second half. Kaluma’s three-pointer with 50 seconds remaining and Pope’s two free throws brought Texas within 83-80.

Insights

Auburn: The Tigers are well-positioned to ascend to the No. 1 ranking next week after the top-ranked Tennessee was overwhelmed by Florida 73-43 on Tuesday night.

Texas: The Longhorns suffered a significant setback in the paint, being outscored 48-16 during a 20-point defeat against Texas A&M in their prior game. This time, Texas displayed greater toughness around the basket, matching Auburn’s 28 points in the paint.

Crucial moment

Broome extended Auburn’s lead to 10 with a buzzer-beating jumper at the 1:23 mark but subsequently received a technical foul. Pope capitalized with two free throws, and a jumper from Tre Johnson had Texas threatening again.

Important stat

Texas managed just one assist and did not hit any three-pointers during the first half.

Next up

Both teams are in action on Saturday. Auburn will face South Carolina, while Texas will host No. 1 Tennessee.

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