No. 21 Auburn routs Yale; 5 Tigers score in double figures

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — K.D. Johnson scored 19 points, Jabari Smith added 17 points and seven rebounds and No. 21 Auburn blew past Yale 86-64 on Saturday.

Johnson, who transferred from Georgia this offseason, overcame an injury scare in the first half to lead the Tigers in scoring. The win marked the fifth straight game of double-digit points for Smith, a 6-foot-10 freshman forward who is widely projected to be an early selection in the 2022 NBA draft.

Auburn (7-1) had five players score in double figures. Zep Jasper, Devan Cambridge and Dylan Cardwell all finished with 10 points.

The Tigers blocked 14 shots from Yale (5-5), including eight in the first 10 minutes of the game. Walker Kessler, who exited the game in the first half due to injury, had four blocks in just eight minutes of action.

Yale had a difficult time matching up with the size of Auburn and shot 32% from the field for the game, compared with 44% for the Tigers.

Matthue Cotton led the Bulldogs 14 points.

BIG PICTURE

Yale: While Yale was unable to counter Auburn’s height advantage, it stayed competitive throughout the first half with strong 3-point shooting. That most likely will be the key to the Bulldogs’ chances of finishing nonconference play strong and competing for another Ivy League title.

Auburn: Defense has been Auburn’s calling card so far this season, and that was no different Saturday. But the recent run of scoring from Johnson and Smith has been a big boost for a new-look offense still trying to develop consistency before Southeastern Conference play.

UP NEXT

Yale hosts Albany on Tuesday.

Auburn travels to Atlanta for a neutral-site matchup against Nebraska next Saturday.

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