Keyshawn Hall scored 25 of his 31 points in the second half to lead Auburn to a come-from-behind 88-82 win over Texas on Wednesday night at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama. Hall made 7 of 13 shots from the field, including 3 of 6 from the 3-point line, and hit 14 of 17 attempts from the free-throw line to help the Tigers overcome a 14-point deficit to improve to 14-7 (5-3 SEC).
Texas HC Hails Keyshawn Hall After 31-Point Outburst
The UCF transfer’s efforts gained praise from Texas head coach Sean Miller, who described the 6’7″ forward as one of the premier players in college basketball, and his second-half explosion could give NBA scouts something to think about when it comes to picking an experienced but reliable player in the draft.
“He’s a heck of a player. I’m gonna tell you this. He’s one of college basketball’s premier players,” Miller said postgame. “He did it against Florida on Saturday night, and I thought again, his second half really spoke volumes.”
When asked to respond to Miller’s comment, Hall took it to heart, but he said he remained focused on the bigger task.
“I really appreciate that from him. That’s big time. I’m happy he sees it,” Hall said. “A lot of people still don’t see it. I don’t know why, but hey, it is what it is. But I’m not even going to worry about individual stuff. We’re going to keep trying to win, keep trying to roll.”
Hall was checked in the first half, scoring only six points, and his anemic first-half performance left Auburn trailing 42-34. He waxed in the second half, dropping 25 points, including 13 in a 16-7 surge that handed the Tigers a 79-69 lead with 2:14 left.
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His ability to make free throws was in the spotlight anew, as the nation’s top free-throw shooter made 14 of 17 attempts from the foul line to move ahead of Oakland’s Brody Robinson, 155-148. Hall scored at least 30 points for the third time this season, hiking his average to 20.9 points per game.
The forward’s performance against Texas followed up on his 24-point, seven-rebound effort in Auburn’s 76-67 win over No. 16 Florida and helped the Tigers extend their winning streak to four games and move up to a tie for fourth place in the SEC standings, along with Vanderbilt and Kentucky.
Keyshawn Hall did not do it alone for Auburn, as he had help from Kevin Overton, who scored 25 points with five 3-pointers. Elyjah Freeman added 10 points for the Tigers, including a jumper that gave Steven Pearl’s men a 56-55 lead, their first since taking a 5-3 edge in the opening half.
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Hall and Overton hit back-to-back 3s in a 15-5 run that tied it at 52-all, and the forward put on the finishing touches with a decisive run that handed Texas its third loss in four games and 12-9 (3-5 SEC) overall.
Hall’s big game spoiled Dallyn Swain’s 30-point explosion for the Longhorns. Camden Heide added 17 points, which included five 3-pointers. Jordan Pope and Matas Vokietaitis each scored 12.
The Tigers hope to stretch their winning streak to five when they visit Tennessee (14-6, 4-3 SEC) on Saturday.
