What We Learned From Auburn's 106-65 Rout of Queens Monday Night

The Auburn Tigers are set to begin SEC play with a significant boost, as they will be coming off an impressive performance in the last game of their historically difficult nonconference gauntlet.

Auburn took down Queens in dominating fashion at Neville Arena late Monday night, defeating the Royals 106-65 behind a strong showing from a multitude of Tigers in their final outing before a tough conference slate tips off on Saturday.

King of the court tn👑#WarEagle | @carrier pic.twitter.com/D9PLjHiIII
— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) December 30, 2025

The Tigers finished with four players in double figures, with sophomore guard leading the way with 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting and 4-of-4 from three-point land. Shooting guard Kevin Overton and senior forward Keyshawn Hall followed right behind Freeman, as Overton posted 23 points and Hall recorded 18.

Let’s take a look at a few things that fans learned from Auburn’s thrashing of Queens.

Playing As a Team is Important

One of the biggest criticisms on the Tigers this season has been their inability to share the basketball. Particularly against elite teams like Arizona, Michigan, and Purdue, Auburn had the tendency to play “hero” ball – and consequently, the Tigers were blown out in all three of those games.

However, tonight was the exact opposite. Auburn played as a team on both ends of the floor, but it was especially apparent on the offensive side. The Tigers recorded just 13 assists in their 88-60 loss to Purdue last weekend, but they managed to end Monday’s game with 22 assists. In fact, Auburn almost matched its 13 total assists against the Boilermakers in the first half versus Queens, as it tallied 12 assists in the opening period alone.

Thus, Auburn exploded for 57 first-half points, which marked its highest first-half output of the season.

“Offensively we shared the ball in the first half,” head coach Steven Pearl said. “The first half looked like Auburn basketball again, which was encouraging.”

Auburn’s effective passing and willingness to produce unselfish basketball benefited everyone in the long run, and it will undoubtedly serve them well to continue sharing the ball moving forward.

Sharp Shooting Needs to Continue

The Tigers’ “team basketball” ultimately led to extremely successful numbers on the offensive end of the court. Auburn shot 55.6% from the field, including 52.5% (21-of-40) in the first half and 60.9% (14-of-23) in the second half. It is the third time this season the Tigers have shot over 60% in a half, with the other two coming in the second half vs. Jackson State and the second half against St. John’s.

Auburn also went 53.6% from behind the arc, knocking down 15 three-pointers on the night. The Tigers’ 15 threes marked the most since their season opener against Vermont last season, when they nailed 16 in a 94-43 thrashing of the Catamounts.

Of course, Queens’ defenders aren’t up to the caliber of a typical SEC athlete, but sharp shooting, especially from the perimeter, will be crucial if Auburn wants to legitimately compete for a conference title. Considering the Tigers’ lack of a true frontcourt presence and overall size, consistent success shooting the basketball will benefit them tremendously. Auburn is 6-0 when shooting at least 50.0% this season.

Defense is Crucial Moving Forward

The main staple of a Bruce Pearl-coached Auburn team was relentless effort on the defensive end. The Tigers’ defensive performance has been shaky at times this year, but it looked much more promising on Monday.

Auburn held Queens to 37.5% from the field and 13.3% from downtown, and the Royals’ 65 points marked the third-lowest number of points that the Tigers have allowed this year. Queens’ first made three-pointer came later in the second half, as it started the game 0-of-11 from deep before it made its first.

As mentioned previously, yes, it’s Queens, but Auburn will need to continue this type of defensive intensity as it starts conference action this weekend.

The Tigers will open SEC play on Saturday, Jan. 3, against No. 23 Georgia at Stegeman Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. CST on SEC Network.