GALLERY: Auburn basketball falls to Arkansas in second round of SEC tournament

It was a questionable effort from the Tigers as a whole on Thursday night.

The Tigers (20-12, 10-8 SEC) lost in crushing fashion away from Neville Arena once again - this time at the hands of the Arkansas Razorbacks, a team Auburn had claimed earlier in the week they didn't like.

Guards Wendell Green Jr and Zep Jasper talked at length about how badly they wanted this victory over the Hogs.

A -20 rebounding margin, 48 points allowed in the paint, and a couple of crucial turnovers with a few minutes left later, and the Tigers were staring another three-point loss in the face. Their fifth loss of three or less on the season.

"Our energy was low," Wendell Green noted in the postgame.

Head coach Bruce Pearl noted in the postgame that it would be "ridiculous" to say Auburn lacked effort at any point in the loss.

Not quite sure who to believe, but it feels like the numbers speak for themselves. The Tigers found themselves down 15 points in the second half, but managed to tie the game with time winding down. Some bad luck, bad turnovers and even worse execution handed Bruce Pearl his second first-game exit in the SEC tournament in as many years.

Auburn's luck in the SEC tournament has been... almost nonexistent for eight years (credit Josh Vitale for this note):

2016: lost first game

2017: lost first game

2018: lost first game

2019: won championship

2020: canceled

2021: postseason ban

2022: lost first game

2023: lost first game

Curious to see if the Tigers turn things around next season.

For now, here are photos from the loss (credit: Eric Starling)