After a challenging February, Auburn University’s men’s basketball team is looking to finish the regular season strong as they prepare to host LSU on Tuesday night. The game, which will tip off at 9 p.m. CT and be broadcast on SEC Network and the Auburn Sports Network, marks what coach Steven Pearl has called “Senior Late Night.” The event will honor seniors including student managers Hayes Sampson, Thomas Palmer, Cole Koon, social media intern Josie Scalici, walk-ons Reed Trapp and CJ Williams, leading scorer Keyshawn Hall, and co-rebounding leader KeShawn Murphy.
“We’re still in control of our own destiny,” said Auburn coach Steven Pearl. “If you win these next two, you’re probably in. We’ve got to do everything we can to beat LSU. Through all the difficulty and all the struggles, we’re still in position to make the tournament.”
Auburn (15-14 overall, 6-10 SEC) has faced the toughest schedule in the country this season. According to recent data, Auburn leads the nation with 16 Quad 1 games played—one more than Arizona, Florida, Purdue, Louisville and Ole Miss.
Coach Pearl highlighted key victories against teams he considers certain NCAA Tournament participants: No. 5 Florida, No. 18 St. John’s, No. 20 Arkansas, Kentucky, Texas and NC State. “We showed a lot of film of those games yesterday,” Pearl said. “Our guys have to find a way to harness that and continue to believe. We know it’s there. We’ve got to find a way to stay locked in and stay consistent with what we’re doing.”
On Tuesday night, special attention will be given to seniors Hall and Murphy for their contributions on court as well as student staff behind the scenes. “Really hoping we can send those two guys out on a strong note,” Pearl said of Hall and Murphy while expressing gratitude for the managers’ efforts: “Super appreciative of them and all their efforts.”
Hall is also approaching a school milestone; he needs seven more free throws made this season to break Auburn’s single-season record set by John Mengelt during the 1970-71 campaign.
LSU (15-14 overall; 3-13 SEC) enters with three conference wins—two coming from overtime road games at South Carolina and Ole Miss—and holds an overall series lead over Auburn at 87-72 despite losing eight of their last ten meetings.
Max Mackinnon leads LSU with an average of 15.5 points per game while shooting nearly 40 percent from three-point range—a statistic that Auburn will focus on defensively during preparation for Tuesday’s matchup.
“They’re a team that’s still playing with a lot of confidence and energy,” Pearl noted about LSU. “We’ve got to play with purpose tomorrow night in order to beat them.”
LSU forward Marquel Sutton averages 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game; he has started every game for his teams across four seasons—a streak now totaling 128 consecutive starts spanning Omaha and LSU.
Auburn aims for its fifth straight win against LSU after already taking four consecutive victories in their recent matchups.
“We still have a chance to do everything we want to accomplish, as crazy as that continues to sound at 15-14,” Pearl added regarding postseason hopes tied closely with upcoming results against LSU.
