Five key stats from Auburn basketball's loss to Vanderbilt – Auburn Wire

Auburn basketball suffered its third-straight loss on Tuesday, falling to Vanderbilt at Neville Arena, 84-76.
Auburn outplayed Vanderbilt in the second half; however, the Commodores raced out to a substantial first-half lead to control momentum for the entire game. Auburn head coach Steven Pearl credited Auburn fans for showing up and cheering loudly despite the team’s recent rough patch.
“I have to do a better job as their coach in these situations,” Pearl said postgame. “That’s the second game in a row where we had a defensive breakdown in the first possession, and they made a three. That does wonders for your confidence when you’re able to come out and hit your first shot like that. Big start.”
Outside of Vanderbilt’s first-half success, other factors contributed to the Tigers’ loss. Below are five reasons why Auburn dropped another SEC contest on Tuesday to the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Looking at the key stats from Tuesday’s game, it is difficult to see how Auburn lost. Let alone by eight points. However, Vanderbilt’s first-half dominance is a fine place to start. The Commodores outscored Auburn, 42-31, in the first half by outshooting the Tigers, 57% to 32%. Jalen Washington and Devin McGlockton each scored 12 points in the first half to pace Vanderbilt in its first-half spread.
Jalen Washington and Devin Washington carried the load for Vanderbilt for the whole game, not just in the first half. The duo combined to shoot 91% (11 of 12) from the field for 34 points. Both were perfect from the free-throw line and from three-point territory, and logged 12 combined rebounds before fouling out in the second half.
Auburn played a much better brand of basketball in the second half, but had to do so without one of its star players. Keyshawn Hall received a technical foul in the second half of Tuesday’s game, which led Steven Pearl to sit Hall for the final 12:38. Pearl felt that Hall being off the floor helped his team get back into the game, which is an accurate statement, as the Tigers trimmed Vanderbilt’s lead to as little as four points with less than three minutes to go in the game.
Hall ended the game with 13 points, but he shot 3-of-13 from the field.
Auburn connected on 78% of its free throws on Tuesday, making 21 of 27. Although a perfect night at the stripe would not have closed the gap, Vanderbilt made 26 of 30 free-throw attempts, which also made a difference in a close game, especially in the second half when Vanderbilt attempted 25 free throws.
Auburn basketball’s rough patch continues as they dropped their third-straight game on Tuesday. According to Justin Ferguson of The Auburn Observer, it is the first time since 2023 that Auburn has dropped three consecutive games. Matthew Wallace of The Auburn Villager also pointed out after the game that Auburn has not lost two straight games at Neville Arena since the 2020-21 season.
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