Auburn basketball avoids ‘tennis match’ allegations, shows no signs of rust in win vs. Virginia Tech – AL.com

A white posterboard with the words, “This ain’t no tennis match” scrawled across it was held above the head of an Auburn student seated in the Tigers’ student section, affectionately known as “The Jungle” on Wednesday night.

The sign, which admittedly looked like an arts and crafts project that was rushed to be completed as it was due the next morning, was a jab directed at Auburn’s in-state rival.

During Tuesday night’s ACC/SEC Challenge matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Clemson Tigers at Alabama’s Coleman Coliseum, ESPN analyst and former NBA player Jay Williams ripped Alabama’s home crowd.

“What’s the point of playing at home if it’s not going to have a home-court advantage?” Williams asked on the game broadcast. “Like, this doesn’t feel like a home-court advantage at all for Alabama. This place is not packed, the fans don’t seem to be engaged, it seems to be more like a tennis match, and by the way, Clemson has been taking the air out of the building.”

Naturally, Auburn fans took hold of Williams’ comments and used them as ammunition in social media banter during the hours leading up to the Tigers’ own ACC/SEC dance with the Virginia Tech Hokies, which Auburn went on to win 74-57.

And despite a mid-week, late tip – just like the Crimson Tide had Tuesday night — Tigers’ fan backed up the banter Wednesday night with a Neville Arena crowd that said to be a sellout.

“If the bosses are watching, can I get another game here in Auburn?,” joked ESPN’s John Schriffen, who broadcasted Wednesday’s game. “No, like, for real, for real, this place is lit.”

Truth be told, calling it a sellout might’ve been a bit of a stretch, but Neville Arena brought the juice, nonetheless – something that came as a relief to Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl.

“The crowd can do two things: One, it can take your guys to another level and our guys certainly enjoy playing in front of the home crowd. But it can also bother some opponents,” Pearl said. “And our elevated play and the intensity of our crowd – definitely, that’s what a homecourt advantage is all about.”

After having not played for more than a week, Pearl expressed concerns about the Tigers possibly getting out to a slow start.

“I hope we’re not rusty,” Pearl said Tuesday. “We can’t afford to be rusty, because they’re so sharp.”

After less than a minute and 15 seconds of game play had expired in the first period, Johni Broome threw down a dunk off a turnover to put Auburn ahead 4-0 early.

Obviously, a four-point lead early in the first period is moot. But the effect Broome’s slam had on Neville Arena was significant as the true-capacity crowd of Auburn’s student section erupted.

No tennis match-like atmosphere here.

No rust, either.

Auburn went to open the game on a 15-3 tear and eventually stretched its lead out to 15 as it led 25-10 with 7:32 to play in the first period.

After the Tigers’ scoring slowed and the Hokies began to find a bit of its offense, Virginia Tech was able to tighten up the game to 32-24 at the break.

Early in the second period, Virginia Tech cut Auburn’s lead to as few as seven points, only for the Tigers to stretch it back out to 14 with 14:46 to play.

Down the stretch, Auburn’s lead extended out to as many as 21 as a pair of Chad Baker-Mazara dunks sandwiched a layup from Broome, who finished the night with 30 points and 13 rebounds — two season highs.

With 9:06 to play, Virginia Tech’s Robbie Beran picked up his fifth foul and has left creeping his way back to the Hokies’ bench. All the while, the Tigers’ student section was there to remind him where he’d be for the remainder of the game.

“Sit down!,” The Jungle continued to hurl at Beran, who took his time taking his seat. But it wasn’t until the fabric of Beran’s shorts made contact with his chair that Auburn’s student section finally hushed, only to go on to erupt again as Chaney Johnson issued a block.

Yeah, no tennis match here.

“It’s November — almost December. It’s college basketball, and our place is full. It’s sold out,” Pearl said.

Pearl said Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young approached him pregame and commended the atmosphere of Neville Arena.

“He just looked up and looked around and went: ‘This is pretty special.’,” Pearl said. “And it is. It is. I mean, I’m hoping that they were entertained. I mean, it was entertaining.”