How Halftime Adjustments Lifted Auburn to Win Over Texas

The Auburn Tigers found themselves down at halftime, but they were able to make key adjustments and come back to win

Auburn was able to make adjustments and rally to beat Texas | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

AUBURN, Ala.- The Auburn Tigers defeated the Texas Longhorns 88-82 Wednesday night in Neville Arena, earning their fourth straight SEC win. The Tigers started slowly and remained so throughout the entire first half. The Longhorns, who average around seven three-pointers per game, made 8 3-point shots in the first half alone. 

The main contributor to the Longhorns' stellar first half was Dailyn Swain. Auburn head coach Steven Pearl admitted it was part of the game plan to let Swain shoot threes initially, because he shoots 27% from the three-point line on the season.

“Dailyn Swain was, I think, 3-for-3 or 4-for-4 at half (from the three-point line), and you know, he shoots 27% from three. Those are the shots we wanted them to take, threes... if you told me before the game that they were going to make twelve threes, I’m not sure if we win that game,” Pearl stated in the post-game press conference. 

Initially, Pearl’s game plan was hurting him and the Tigers. Auburn trailed 42-34 going into the second half. Another main attribute for the first slow first half was the Tigers not giving the ball to their leading scorer, Keyshawn Hall. Hall was initially met with many double teams the second he touched the ball in the first half, forcing him to pass rather than score. In the first half, that plan worked. Hall only scored six points in the first half. 

But in the second half, the Hall scored a team high 26 points. Most of those points came from when Hall decided to be aggressive in the second half, earning 17 second-half free throws. Hall finished the game with 31 points, three rebounds, and two assists. 

However, Hall was not the only Tiger to have a stellar second half. Kevin Overton was also able to chip into the Longhorn lead until the Tigers eventually overtook them. The duo of Overton and Hall made five out of the six second-half three-pointers for the Tigers. 

Overton finished 6-of-9 from the field and 5-of-7 from the three-point line, overall scoring 25 points overall. 

“Not to be cocky, but I feel like I’m the best player in college,” Hall said postgame. “I just come out, keep working, and keep going at it to try to just stay consistent in what I do.” 

Now, the Tigers are hitting the road to take on the Tennessee Volunteers in a very hostile environment. The Tigers will enter Knoxville on a four-game win streak and will look to make it five against the Vols.