AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Jabari Smith scored 23 points and 10 rebounds and No. 22 Auburn overcame a halftime deficit to defeat Louisiana-Monroe 93-65 Friday night.
Smith hit 7 of his 12 shots from the field, including 3 3-pointers. The highly touted freshman led the Tigers (2-0) in both scoring and rebounding to notch a double-double in his second collegiate game.
Auburn’s comeback was sparked by its bench. Sophomores K.D. Johnson and Chris Moore combined for 34 points, 25 of them in the second half. Fellow sophomore and starting point guard Wendell Green Jr. added 15 points and seven rebounds.
Sophomore guard Trey Boston led the Warhawks with 16 points.
Louisiana-Monroe (0-2) led by as many as eight points in the first half and held a 4-point lead early in the second half before Auburn went on what would be a decisive 22-8 run.
BIG PICTURE
Louisiana-Monroe: After losing their opener vs. LS by 62 points, the Warhawks responded in a big way against another SEC opponent Friday night. Louisiana-Monroe struggled with turnovers at LSU but only had four in the first half against Auburn.
Auburn: With four newcomers in the starting lineup and another logging heavy minutes as the sixth man, the Tigers are searching for a consistent offense. Their second-half surge showed what they can look like when they’re clicking, but coach Bruce Pearl’s team is going to be a work in progress.
UP NEXT
Louisiana-Monroe: Faces Champion Christian in its home opener Tuesday.
Auburn: Visits USF on Friday.
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