Battle-tested Auburn will try to bounce back from a loss when it takes on Chattanooga as part of the sixth annual Holiday Hoopsgiving on Saturday in Atlanta.
The No. 21 Tigers (7-3) have faced four top 15-ranked teams already this season, including the current top three teams in the nation.
Auburn, which has a win over St. John’s, is coming off a 97-68 defeat against No. 2 Arizona last Saturday.
The Tigers received a career-high 30-point performance from Tahaad Pettiford but were outplayed severely in the paint, 60-24, by the Wildcats’ frontcourt.
“It’s disappointing any time you get exposed like that,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said. “I think there’s a pretty wide margin between Michigan, Arizona and the rest of college basketball. It was good for our guys to see where the bar is at because we’ve got a long way to go.”
Pettiford has led the Tigers in scoring in four of their past five games and is averaging 15.7 points per game this season. Despite shooting just 29.9 percent from 3-point range this season, he is coming off one of his better shooting performances of the season by going 5 for 9 from beyond the arc against Arizona.
Pettiford’s offensive success has complemented Keyshawn Hall’s presence in the frontcourt, as he leads the Tigers with 20.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
“Great to see him make shots,” Pearl said. “It kept the game from getting even uglier. We’re going to need him to continue to do that for us to be successful.”
The Mocs (5-5), meanwhile, are looking for a major signature win for their program as they play their first-ranked opponent since coach Dan Earl became coach at the start of the 2022-23 season.
Chattanooga put on its own shooting clinic in its 103-46 victory over Oakwood, an NAIA squad from Alabama. The Mocs made 21 3-pointers on 49 attempts and shot 49.3 percent from the field, led by Jordan Frison, who scored a game-high 20 points.
Earl said he was impressed with the way his team shared the ball as Chattanooga finished with 25 assists.
“Communicating on the defensive end in particular. Being sharp on the offensive end. Taking care of the basketball,” Earl said. “Continuing to share the ball and taking the good and the right looks on offense and then competing defensively. All those things that will help us long term.”
Frison, who is averaging 12.8 points and 3.8 assists per game, is one of two Chattanooga players averaging double figures in scoring. Teddy Washington Jr. also has provided an offensive impact, averaging 10.6 points per game.
The Mocs know the difficulty level is about to ramp up, and are hoping to benefit from the experience of playing a high-caliber opponent such as Auburn.
“It’s really exciting to go against such a high-level opponent. I just want to see us — and I know this sounds like the politically correct answer — but just continue our growth,” Earl said.
