College basketball fans were treated to the perfect Thanksgiving appetizer on Wednesday in the form of an absolute thriller between Connecticut and Auburn.
The No. 22 Huskies and the No. 19 Tigers met in The Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament and delivered an instant classic. It took two overtimes to decide the back and forth matchup, with UConn eventually escaping to the next round with a 115-109 win.
The Huskies grabbed a double-digit first half lead, but Auburn battled back with 49 second half points to force the game into overtime. However, the Tigers were nearly undone in regulation before some late heroics.
With Auburn leading by one, UConn’s Tyler Polley knocked down a triple off of an offensive rebound to give the Huskies a two-point advantage. The Tigers opted to not take a timeout and K.D. Johnson was able to cut through the opposing defense for a layup that tied the game at 83.
UConn got another open look on the other side of the court, but a jumper from Isaiah Whaley went just long.
In overtime, Johnson again proved to be the hero for Auburn. He scored four points in the final 22 seconds to force a second overtime. He ended the game with a team-high 27 points and five steals.
Basketball fans and media members that were prepping for the holiday were ecstatic that UConn and Auburn played at such a high level so early on in the year. Many that were watching the game took to Twitter to give their thoughts on the thriller.
CHAOS! 🤯
UConn and Auburn trade buckets to force overtime! pic.twitter.com/u4K3EZbZkp
— ESPN (@espn) November 24, 2021
Dear UConn and Auburn,
Thanks for giving us the game of the year thus far in college basketball.
That type of Thanksgiving Eve entertainment is infinitely better than any bar in America.
Sincerely,
JR
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) November 24, 2021
Why college basketball is the greatest sport in the world:
Two schools, with seemingly little in common, UConn and Auburn, played the game of the year on a Wednesday afternoon in November in a ballroom in the Bahamas.
Damn I LOVE this sport
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) November 24, 2021
The level of college BB in the first 2 weeks has been high level.
This Auburn/UCONN game is like watching 2 teams compete in March.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) November 24, 2021
FINAL – UConn 115, Auburn 109
Adama Sanogo powers the Huskies with a career-high 30 points. Connecticut goes to 5-0, and will meet Michigan State in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals tomorrow. What an incredible college basketball game.
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) November 24, 2021
UConn stayed undefeated with the win, improving to 5-0 on the year. The Huskies will now take on Michigan State in the semifinals tomorrow afternoon.
If Wednesday’s Auburn-UConn game is any indication of what’s to come in March of 2022, college basketball fans should strap in for a wild ride.
The post College Basketball World Reacts To Epic Auburn-UConn Game appeared first on The Spun.
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