Auburn Basketball Makes Stunning Comeback to Defeat St. John's

Auburn basketball showed resilience against a strong opponent after suffering a significant loss in their previous game. The Tigers faced No. 6 Michigan and were defeated by a 30-point margin, but they bounced back against No. 15 St. John’s, winning 85-74 on Wednesday, Nov. 26, at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.

Tahaad Pettiford was the standout performer of the game, scoring a career-high 27 points, with 18 of those coming in the second half. His performance was crucial as Auburn trailed by nine points at halftime. St. John’s took advantage of KeShawn Murphy's foul trouble in the first half, securing 18 offensive rebounds and 22 second-chance points. Zuby Ejiofor contributed 24 points for the Red Storm, dominating inside, but Auburn made a late push to outscore St. John’s 30-11 over the final nine minutes.

Here’s a breakdown of how Auburn managed to come back and overcome the Red Storm:

Key Moments from the Game

2:06 2H:
KeShawn Murphy, playing with four fouls, hit a wide-open catch-and-shoot 3-pointer to give Auburn its biggest lead yet. Murphy had nine points and six rebounds, and the Tigers led 79-70.

3:44 2H:
Tahaad Pettiford took over the game, leading all scorers with 25 points. He scored Auburn’s last 12 points, helping the team mount a 20-8 run that put them in a critical position. Keyshawn Hall was heading to the line when the game returned, with Auburn leading 75-69.

8:17 2H:
A 12-5 run pulled Auburn even with the Red Storm, and Keyshawn Hall’s trip to the line brought him to a team-high 15 points. The game was tied at 61-61.

11:58 2H:
Despite Auburn’s efforts, St. John’s maintained a strong lead. The Red Storm dominated the offensive glass, including 12 second-half points since intermission. The score was 56-51 in favor of St. John’s.

17:16 2H:
Auburn started the second half strong, trailing by nine at the end of the first half. They had an 11-5 start in the second half, capped by a 6-0 run and a timeout by Rick Pitino. Keyshawn Hall added five points, bringing his total to seven for the evening. Kevin Overton reached 10 points, including a four-point possession after the break. The score was 44-41, with St. John’s leading.

HALF: St. John's 39, Auburn basketball 30
Auburn struggled early in the first half, but after KeShawn Murphy picked up his third foul, things took a turn. St. John’s closed out the half with a 19-5 run, taking advantage of the Tigers’ struggles. The Red Storm dominated the boards, with seven of their 10 offensive rebounds coming in that span. Zuby Ejiofor led all scorers with 17 points.

Halftime Stats

KeShawn Murphy in foul trouble, presents opportunity for St. John's
At 6:46 1H, Murphy had already drawn three fouls, which was a major concern given Filip Jović’s injury. St. John’s big man Zuby Ejiofor was leading the scoring with 13 points. The score was 25-22 in favor of Auburn.

Auburn basketball clicking on both ends against St. John's
At 7:48 1H, Auburn’s offense improved significantly, with the Tigers scoring nine fast break points and finding high-quality looks at 18 points in the paint. Their defense forced seven turnovers, leading to seven points. The score was 23-17 in favor of Auburn.

Tahaad Pettiford all the difference for Auburn basketball against St. John's
At 10:46 1H, Tahaad Pettiford had a game-high seven points, which was the difference in the game. He was shooting 3-for-5, including 1-for-3 from beyond the arc. The score was 17-10 in favor of Auburn.

Auburn basketball first to find spark against St. John's
At 16:05 1H, Auburn found a spark early, with a 7-2 run fueled by two steals and a block. The score was 7-4 in favor of Auburn.

Starting Lineups

Auburn
G Tahaad Pettiford
G Kevin Overton
G Elyjah Freeman
F Keyshawn Hall
F KeShawn Murphy

St. John's
G Dylan Darling
G Joson Sanon
G Oziyah Sellers
F Bryce Hopkins
F Zuby Ejiofor

Broadcast Details

The game was broadcast live on TruTV and can be streamed via Sling. Fans could also listen to the radio call on WLWI FM (92.3) in Montgomery and WGZZ FM (94.3) in Auburn. Online streaming was available as well. The play-by-play was provided by Andy Burcham, with analysis from Randall Dickey.

Schedule Highlights

Auburn’s 2025-26 schedule includes several key matchups, such as: - Dec. 3: vs. No. 22 North Carolina State (8 p.m., ESPN)
- Dec. 6: at No. 3 Arizona (9 p.m., ESPN)
- Jan. 3: at Georgia (Noon, SECN)
- Feb. 7: vs. No. 9 Alabama (3/3:30 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2)
- March 3: vs. LSU (9 p.m., SECN)

About the Author

Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at acole@gannett.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter. To support Adam’s work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.