The top-ranked Auburn Tigers dominated Ole Miss on Wednesday night, securing a commanding 106-76 victory. Auburn started the game on fire, jumping out to a 29-9 lead within the first ten minutes, setting the tone for the rest of the contest.
Despite the lopsided loss, Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard wasn’t overly harsh on his team. While he acknowledged that better defense was needed, he also understood the challenges of playing on the road against the No. 1 team in the country. Beard noted that his team hit many of their offensive benchmarks and put up respectable numbers, which under normal circumstances might have made for a competitive game. The Rebels scored 76 points, shot 47.1% from the field, made 35.7% of their three-point attempts, and took care of the ball with only ten turnovers. Additionally, they went to the free-throw line just as often as Auburn, converting 31 of 33 attempts.
However, Beard admitted that his team’s defensive effort was severely lacking. He initially called it “non-existent” but then credited Auburn for making them look that way. He praised the Tigers’ relentless offensive attack, their ability to make shots early, and their depth, which allowed them to sustain high intensity throughout the game. He emphasized that Auburn’s early offensive explosion made them nearly unbeatable.
Auburn’s recent games in SEC play had been highly competitive battles, where they had to grind out tough wins. Just days earlier, they secured a hard-fought victory against Georgia, a team that then went on to upset No. 2 Florida. But against Ole Miss, Auburn proved they could dominate in a high-scoring game as well.
The Tigers put on an offensive clinic, shooting an impressive 59.6% from the field, including 52.4% from beyond the arc (11-of-21). They also converted 81.8% of their free throws (27-of-33), demonstrating efficiency at every level. Auburn shared the ball well, finishing with 20 assists compared to just eight turnovers, and controlled the boards, securing ten offensive rebounds while missing only 23 shots in the entire game.
With just three games left in the regular season, Auburn moved one step closer to clinching the SEC regular-season title. But their ambitions extend far beyond conference success. Beard, who has now faced the Tigers twice this season, believes Auburn is every bit as good as advertised.
He highlighted their experience, veteran leadership, and strong coaching as key factors that make them one of the top contenders for a deep postseason run. In his view, Auburn is firmly among the handful of teams capable of winning six games in three weekends—the formula for capturing a national championship.
After falling short in last year’s NCAA Tournament, Bruce Pearl and his Tigers are now locked in on a much bigger prize in 2025.
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