Auburn had no problem strutting out of Rupp Arena last Saturday, celebrating their dominant 94-78 win over Kentucky in a way that ruffled plenty of feathers. Auburn had not won in Rupp Arena since the 80’s, and the game was never really in question. They also clinched at least a share of the SEC regular season title, so a little celebration was going to happen. The Tigers though used a belt to simulate “whooping that butt” in the postgame on the floor, a move that didn’t sit well with Big Blue Nation. But as karma often does, it came knocking just a short few days later.
On Tuesday night, Auburn hit the road to face Texas A&M, and the Aggies returned the favor, handing Bruce Pearl’s squad an 83-72 defeat. Maybe Pearl should focus less on WWE-style celebrations and pregame speeches and more on in game adjustments because their gameplan fell flat with the Aggies winning both halves and keeping Auburn at bay the majority of the second.
To be fair, the loss didn’t cost Auburn an SEC title or even a No. 1 seed in the conference tournament or maybe even the NCAA tournament. But it may have served as a much-needed slice of humble pie for a team that hasn’t tasted defeat often this season. For Kentucky basketball fans, though, this one was extra sweet. Not only did Auburn stumble, but the Wildcats bounced back in emphatic fashion, dismantling LSU 95-64 in a game that showcased why they are a team to be feared come selection sunday.
To his credit Kentucky head coach Mark Pope said he didn’t care about the celebration and if they didn’t want it to happen, they should win the game.
Auburn is still one of the top teams in the SEC, but Tuesday night was a reminder that the road to March can be unpredictable. Maybe next time, they’ll save the belts for the wrestling ring and keep their focus where it belongs—on the court.
