Auburn Rallies Past St. John's 85-74 in Tournament Consolation

LAS VEGAS — No. 21 Auburn rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat No. 14 St. John's 85-74 on Wednesday in the consolation round of the Players Era Championship, finishing the tournament with a 2-1 record after earlier wins over Oregon and a loss to Michigan.

Tahaad Pettiford led the Tigers with 27 points, including 16 during a decisive 30-13 run over the final nine minutes of the second half. Auburn outscored St. John's 62-35 after the break, overcoming a 39-30 halftime disadvantage. The Tigers shot 55 percent from the field, connecting on 6 of 14 three-point attempts, while Keyshawn Hall contributed 20 points and eight rebounds. Kevin Overton added 12 points as Auburn improved to 1-2 against Top 25 opponents this season.

St. John's, which entered with the nation's eighth-best scoring offense at 95.3 points per game, managed just 74 in a defensive battle. Zuby Ejiofor, the Big East preseason player of the year, scored 24 points to lead the Red Storm, with Joson Sanon adding 16. However, Bryce Hopkins was limited to nine points on 2-for-11 shooting, and Oziyah Sellers finished with four on 1-for-7. The Johnnies shot 38 percent overall and 28 percent from beyond the...