Green, Johnson lead No. 22 Auburn past Morehead State 77-54

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Wendell Green Jr. scored 19 points and fellow transfer K.D. Johnson added 12 points off the bench as No. 22 Auburn led Morehead State wire to wire in a 77-54 win in Tuesday night’s season opener.

Four players scored in double figures for Bruce Pearl’s new-look Tigers, who had four newcomers in their starting lineup. Tiger veterans Devan Cambridge and Jaylin Williams added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

In addition to Eastern Kentucky point guard Green and former Georgia shooting guard Johnson, freshman forward Jabari Smith recorded eight points and six rebounds in his Auburn debut. Walker Kessler, a transfer center from North Carolina, tallied six points, six rebounds and five blocks.

Defense set the tone for Auburn, as Morehead State didn’t score until the 14:39 mark of the first half and didn’t get out of single digits until there was 4:30 left before halftime. The Tigers forced 17 turnovers from the visiting Eagles.

Morehead State was led by freshman Johni Broome, who had 12 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore Ta’lon Cooper added 11 points.

BIG PICTURE

Morehead State: The Eagles trailed by as many as 29 points in the first half, but still found ways to score efficiently on a tough SEC defense in the second half. The key for Preston Spradlin’s offense will be ball security, as it ranked toward the bottom of Division I in turnover percentage a season ago.

Auburn: Pearl cautioned fans about a possible slow start, but his revamped lineup showcased both relentless defense and impressive offensive balance early against a team that made the NCAA Tournament last season. But the Tigers’ half-court offense cooled off in a big way after halftime, suggesting it will take more time for Auburn to develop consistency.

UP NEXT

Morehead State will play another road game in Alabama on Friday, when it visits UAB.

Auburn hosts Louisiana-Monroe on Friday.

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