Auburn’s SEC Streak Ends: No. 1 Tigers Fall to No. 6 Florida in Devastating Home Defeat

No. 1 Auburn faced a tough loss at home against No. 6 Florida, falling 90-81. This defeat marks the end of their undefeated streak in the SEC.

With this victory, Florida made history by earning their first win over a No. 1 team on the road.

Early in the game, Auburn jumped ahead with a 15-5 lead. However, Florida responded quickly, going on an impressive 18-7 run that included a crucial 3-pointer from Will Richard, giving them a 23-22 lead. Auburn briefly regained control, leading 31-25 after a 3-pointer from Miles Kelly and a layup by Johni Broome. But Florida surged again, scoring 23 points to just 7 from Auburn toward the end of the first half, finishing at 48-38.

The second half started with Florida extending their lead to 60-43, highlighted by a deep 3-pointer from Walter Clayton Jr. At one point, Florida’s lead grew to 21 points with another 3 from Urban Klavzar, marking Auburn’s toughest challenge of the season.

Auburn managed to cut the deficit down to single digits with a 3 from Kelly midway through the second half. Yet, Florida’s Denzel Aberdeen responded with a huge 3 that pushed the lead back to 12 points. Despite their efforts, the Tigers couldn’t get closer than nine points again for the rest of the game.

Leading Florida’s charge was Clayton, who scored 19 points while contributing six rebounds and nine assists. Alex Condon added a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Thomas Haugh chipped in 16 points and made his presence felt defensively with three blocks.

Auburn was led by Kelly’s 22 points, along with Broome’s solid performance of 18 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. Tahaad Pettiford provided 14 points off the bench, while Chaney Johnson added 13.

This victory improved Florida’s overall record to 20-3 and placed them at 7-3 in the SEC, tying them for third with Texas A&M. Auburn, now 21-2 and 9-1 in the conference, found themselves in a tie for first place with Alabama after the latter won against Arkansas.

Next, Florida will face another challenge with a top 25 opponent as they visit No. 22 Mississippi State. Auburn aims to rebound against Vanderbilt in their next matchup.