No. 21 Auburn Tops No. 14 St. John's 85-74

In Las Vegas, the No. 21 Auburn Tigers secured their first ranked victory of the season with an 85-74 win over the No. 14 St. John's Red Storm on Wednesday night at Michelob ULTRA Arena, as part of the Players Era Festival.

Auburn, which entered the matchup at 5-2 following a 102-72 loss to Michigan the previous evening, trailed by nine points at halftime but mounted a strong second-half comeback to finish the tournament 2-1. The victory improved the Tigers' record to 6-2 and provided a much-needed boost after the lopsided defeat, demonstrating resilience against a St. John's team that arrived at 4-2 with recent wins over Baylor and other opponents.

The Tigers' frontcourt depth proved challenging early on. With forward Filip Jovic sidelined by a wrist injury, Auburn relied on a limited rotation featuring Keyshawn Hall, KeShawn Murphy, and Sebastian Williams-Adams. Murphy's third foul in the first half forced adjustments, allowing St. John's to dominate the offensive glass and build a lead. Auburn struggled with rebounding during that stretch, but the team steadied itself after the break. Murphy avoided further fouls, enabling improved interior defense and second-chance...