SEC WATCH: Auburn Holds another L

Remember when Auburn was a Top 10 team at the top of the SEC with an unblemished record? Me neither.

Bruce Pearl skated down easy street for a few weeks, then went on the road and ate a couple helpings of humble pie. I know it’s hard to imagine Bruce Pearl overeating, but that’s exactly what happened this week.

The rivalry game at Alabama was a little wonky with multiple power outages. The Tigers still had a chance to tie it at the free throw line in the final seconds, but left Tuscaloosa with a loss. They followed that up with a trip to Starkville that went haywire.

Mississippi State star freshman Josh Hubbard made his first career start and delivered an exceptional second-half performance. He scored 15 of his 17 points after intermission. The biggest three came from a baseline out-of-bounds play. Leading by one point with just over 90 seconds to play, Hubbard inbounded the pass, then got open on the wing for a deep three that put the Bulldogs up four. DJ Jeffries iced the game at the free-throw line to give Mississippi State a 64-58 victory.

As you might have suspected, the Mississippi State defense slowed the Auburn offensive attack to a crawl. The Tigers shot 34% from the field, 6 of 24 from three-point range, and they committed 14 turnovers.

“We’ll see how we bounce back,” Pearl said after the loss. “We had disruptions…losing to good teams, both Quad I teams. We’ve lost to the best teams on our schedule, but there’s something to be said about beating who you are supposed to beat.”

They are supposed to beat Vanderbilt, who travels to The Plains for a mid-week matchup, before Auburn returns to the road next Saturday at Ole Miss.

Wade Taylor Not Enough to Beat Ole Miss

Wade Taylor IV is putting up numbers like an SEC Player of the Year, but he’s not putting up enough wins. Taylor hit 5 of 9 three-pointers to score 30 points, yet A&M came up short at home in a 71-68 loss to Ole Miss.

Chris Beard’s squad went on a late 14-3 run to take a 4-point lead with 14 seconds on the clock. Taylor hit a three-pointer to inch closer, and A&M got one final look to tie it, but Tyrese Radford‘s attempt was off-target.

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Florida Wins the Mike White Revenge Game in Overtime

Imagine Dan Mullen leaving Florida to be the Georgia head football coach. That doesn’t make any sense. I still can’t wrap my mind around Mike White making that move. Even though the Dawgs have been solid in his second season, he may have been second-guessing that decision Saturday afternoon in Gainesville.

Florida led by as many as 21 points in the second half. That lead withered away over the final 7+ minutes. Georgia came back and forced overtime, then the Gators flipped the switch. They only missed two shots in OT, including seven made free throws, to pull away for a 102-98 victory. Florida travels to Rupp Arena Wednesday night with a 4-3 record in the SEC.

Dalton Knecht is ON FIRE

Vanderbilt kept it close for a little bit against Tennessee, but they could not contain Dalton Knecht. The 6-foot-6 transfer scored 32 points in the 75-62 victory. He’s gone for 30+ three times in the last five games, averaging 32 points during this stretch.

The Vols are now a half-game back from Alabama, who is atop the SEC with a 6-1 record after handling LSU 109-88. Kentucky is within striking range and could turn the tables during a date with the Vols next Saturday at Rupp Arena.

SEC Standings

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