Auburn basketball came ready to play in its first SEC primetime game, knocking off the No. 15 Arkansas Razorbacks 95-73 on Saturday evening. This marked the Tigers’ first win in SEC play this season as Auburn improved to 10-6 overall and 1-2 against conference opponents.
Keyshawn Hall’s 30-point performance makes him the first Auburn player to notch back-to-back 30-point games since Wesley Person scored 34 against Ole Miss and 30 versus Tennessee on January 19 and 22, 1994.
Here are three key takeaways from the Tigers’ upset victory over Arkansas:
**Keyshawn Hall’s Stellar First Half Gives Auburn Early Double-Digit Lead**
Auburn’s leading scorer, Hall, surpassed the 1,500 career point milestone after pouring in a game-high 18 points in the first half. His efforts helped give Auburn a 15-point lead at halftime. The Tigers came out strong, shooting 58% from the floor and knocking down four three-pointers. Hall himself connected on three of those treys.
On the other side, Arkansas’ Darius Acuff was hot early, scoring 12 points. However, the Razorbacks struggled overall, shooting just 37% from the floor and committing six turnovers in the first half. Auburn capitalized defensively with six steals, which led to 12 fastbreak points. Additionally, the Tigers tallied 30 points inside the paint by halftime.
**Auburn’s Offense Proves Too Much for Arkansas’ Defense**
In one of Auburn’s best offensive performances of the season so far, the Tigers nailed 10 three-pointers and shot 71% from the free-throw line. Elyjah Freeman scored 13 points for Auburn while missing just one three-point attempt all game. Kevin Overton added 10 points to the effort.
Auburn outscored Arkansas 46-35 in the second half and tallied a season-high 19 assists against a ranked opponent. Tahaad Pettiford led the team with seven assists and finished with eight points. The Tigers also took advantage of Arkansas’ turnovers, scoring 13 points off nine total Razorback giveaways.
Bench production was a big factor as well, with Auburn’s reserves contributing 23 points. The Tigers dominated the boards, scoring 18 second-chance points.
**Dominant Frontcourt Performance Seals Auburn’s First SEC Victory**
Auburn’s frontcourt was the icing on the cake during a strong day on the hardwood. The Tigers outrebounded Arkansas 37-28 and scored a game-high 48 points in the paint.
KeShawn Murphy led the charge with a double-double, posting 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Complementing Auburn’s 11 steals and two blocks, the team finished a perfect 7-for-7 on dunks and converted 13 of 22 layup attempts.
Arkansas was held to just 22 points inside the paint, underscoring Auburn’s interior defensive dominance.
Auburn will travel to Missouri for its next conference game before hosting South Carolina at Neville Arena next weekend.
https://www.al.com/auburnbasketball/2026/01/auburn-knocks-off-no-15-arkansas-in-dominant-fashion-takeaways-from-the-tigers-first-sec-win.html