In his first game for Auburn, freshman Simon Walker made a notable impact by scoring 15 points in the final seven minutes, hitting all five of his three-point attempts. Auburn, ranked No. 22, defeated Jackson State 112-66 at Neville Arena.
Walker spoke about the challenges he faced coming back from injury: “Definitely a lot of nerves there, especially coming off an injury and not having a ton of reps,” Walker said. “Once you get out there and the ball’s in play, you only have time to react. I know one thing, shooters shoot. It was good to get that weight off my shoulders and get settled in. You see the first one hit the bottom of the net and you’re like, ‘Oh, here we go.’”
Walker had foot surgery less than two months ago but returned to action with Auburn ahead by 45 points. He commented on his recovery process: “Not ideal timing coming right before the first official practice,” Walker said. “This university gave me the best resources and the best people to help me get back to 100 percent. I have a lot of confidence because of the people around me. They’ve been pushing me the past eight weeks to get back to where I was before.”
Auburn played without its leading scorer Keyshawn Hall but still managed balanced scoring with five players reaching double digits.
Coach Steven Pearl acknowledged fan support at Neville Arena: “I want to thank the fans. An 8 o’clock game on a Wednesday is a big ask, and to have as many students and fans in the seats was phenomenal,” Pearl said. “They brought a lot of energy.”
KeShawn Murphy led Auburn with 19 points while Filip Jovic scored a career-high 18 points. Other key contributors included Elyjah Freeman (14 points) and Kevin Overton (13). The five top scorers combined for an efficient shooting night, making nearly three-quarters of their shots.
“We did what we were supposed to do,” Pearl said.
Auburn started strong with multiple double-digit runs in the first half, building up a significant lead early on through defensive pressure that resulted in turnovers and fast-break opportunities.
Freeman contributed both offensively and defensively during these runs, while Williams-Adams and Overton added key baskets before halftime.
Jovic excelled in the second half with several dunks and layups. He shared his perspective after the game: “Amazing experience for me to be here to be part of this organization,” Jovic said.
Murphy showed versatility by handling the ball after making steals for scores. Blake Muschalek’s three-pointer energized fans known as The Jungle, while Kaden Magwood’s steal led to another slam dunk for Auburn.
Magwood also assisted Emeka Opurum on an alley-oop that pushed Auburn over 100 points; Magwood finished with eight assists.
CJ Williams made a deep three-pointer before Walker closed out scoring with two more threes late in the game.
Pearl praised Walker’s playing style: “Simon attacks everything aggressively,” Pearl said. “Guys who can make shots and can sit down and defend are going to have a chance to play. Simon’s a specialist in that area. He plays with a ton of confidence, so it was great to see him have some success.”
With this win, Auburn moves to 4-1 for the season and will travel next to Las Vegas for competition against Oregon at the Players Era Championship.
Auburn used its fifth different starting lineup this season—Pettiford, Overton, Freeman, Murphy, Williams-Adams—and achieved its 74th consecutive sellout at Neville Arena (9,121 seats). The Tigers’ 112 points marked their highest output since November 2019; they have scored at least 93 points in every home game this season with an average nearing triple digits per contest at home.
Auburn led by as much as 31 at halftime—their largest margin so far this season—and shot nearly 65% from the field overall including over 74% after halftime. The team recorded its most assists since March earlier this year (28) and forced Jackson State into turnovers resulting in high-scoring opportunities off those mistakes.
Eleven players scored for Auburn; bench contributions were significant with Jovic (18) and Walker (15) each posting double figures.
