No. 23 Auburn pulls away in 2nd half, tops Washington 84-61

SEATTLE (AP) — Jaylin Williams scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half, Johni Broome also scored 18, and No. 23 Auburn ran away in the second half for an 84-61 win over Washington on Wednesday night.

Auburn (10-2) closed out a two-game West Coast trip and rebounded impressively after losing at Southern California last Sunday. It was the Tigers’ final tuneup before the start of Southeastern Conference play next week.

Chris Moore added 12 points and Wendell Green Jr. added 11 for Auburn, which shot 21 of 29 (72.4%) in the second half and led by as many as 27.

Keion Brooks Jr. led Washington (9-4) with 15 points and Koren Johnson scored 12, but it was a disappointing effort and another missed opportunity for the Huskies to earn an attention-grabbing victory.

It was the Huskies’ first home nonconference game against a ranked opponent other than Gonzaga in eight years and Washington fell flat, sending fans headed for the exits with plenty of time left in the second half.

Williams keyed a 14-0 run by the Tigers in a first half where scoring was difficult to come by. Auburn led by as many as 15 late in the first half and used another 15-2 run midway through the second half after Washington had pulled within six.

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Auburn had lost two of its previous three games and Williams struggled offensively in both defeats. He had eight points in the loss to USC and scored five in a loss to Memphis on Dec. 10.

His first-half scoring punch was welcome. Auburn took a 27-12 lead thanks to its 14-0 run in which Williams had eight points.

Washington used a late spurt to pull within 31-23 at halftime, but the Huskies’ first half numbers were ugly: 21.2% shooting, seven turnovers and no player with more than five points.

Washington got within 39-33 before the Tigers pulled away. Broome had 12 points in the second half, making 6 of 7 shots. Auburn made nine straight baskets during one stretch, carving up Washington’s press defense with ease.

BIG PICTURE

Auburn: The Tigers had never played a game in the Pacific Northwest. Auburn’s only other games against teams from the region were against Oregon in 2000 and Gonzaga in 2020, both at neutral sites.

Washington: The Huskies’ last nonconference home game against a ranked team other than Gonzaga was San Diego State on Dec. 7, 2014. Washington dropped to 5-16 against ranked opponents under coach Mike Hopkins and 0-2 this season.

UP NEXT

Auburn: The Tigers open SEC play next Wednesday, hosting Florida.

Washington: The Huskies return to Pac-12 play, hosting USC on Dec. 30.