Auburn Tigers Dominate Vermont to Take Season Opener

The Auburn Tigers cruised to a blowout win to start the season on the right foot

The Auburn Tigers shut down any hopes of an upset quickly and picked up a win to start the season / Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

 In what was viewed as a potential trap game to open the 2024-25 campaign, the No. 11 Auburn Tigers took care of business on opening night inside Neville Arena.

Auburn (1-0) picked up a 94-43 win over the Vermont Catamounts (1-1), matching the offensive explosiveness it showed in its exhibition win over Florida Atlantic on Friday.

The Tigers scored early and often, building a double-digit lead less than nine minutes into the game. They held a 46-21 lead at halftime. The defensive dominance continued for Auburn as it held Vermont to four points in the first eight minutes of the second half.

Miles Kelly caught fire during that period, knocking down four shots from beyond the arc within two minutes. Additionally, the Tigers went on a 19-2 run during that time, Kelly’s hot hand helping that along.

The difference in turnovers was a deciding factor. Vermont, who was No. 10 nationally in turnovers last season averaging 9.2 per game, gave the ball up 16 times which led to 25 points for Auburn. The Tigers had nine turnovers which led to 18 points for Vermont.

Auburn shot 56.3% from the field, 45.7% from 3-point range and 54.5% from the free-throw line. The Tigers were led in scoring by Kelly who had 21 points, in rebounds by Chaney Johnson with nine and in assists by Tahaad Pettiford with four.

Vermont shot 25.9% from the field, 21.7% from the 3-point range and 72.2% from the free-throw line. The Catamounts were led in scoring by Seth Joba who had eight points, and in rebounds and assists by Sean Blake with five and three respectively.

Auburn’s depth is expected to be one of the team’s biggest strengths this season and it showed in the season opener. The Tigers ended up with 47 bench points to Vermont’s 26.

The Tigers return to action on Saturday when they take on the No. 4 Houston Cougars at Toyota Center in The Battleground 2K. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. CT and ESPNU will carry the broadcast.