LSU wins second straight over Auburn

Posted 8:06AM on Sunday 20th January 2002 ( 23 years ago )

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - Ronald Dupree scored 25 points - 15 in the second half - as LSU routed Auburn 75-58 Saturday afternoon. Dupree finished 10-for-19 from the field, including the first three baskets and the last three in the second half. ``They double teamed me, then they had to make an adjustment that freed me up,'' Dupree said. ``One-on-one, I'll take it every time. If you double team me my teammates will beat you.'' LSU took the opening tip and never trailed in the game, leading by as much as 16 in the first half. Auburn cut the lead to four points in the first half, but could get no closer than six points in the second. Auburn coupled poor shooting with 22 turnovers. ``We didn't shoot the ball well, but we came out and turned it over and those turned into layups,'' Auburn coach Cliff Ellis said. ``I think we set the tone early with all those turnovers.'' LSU (12-5, 2-2 Southeastern Conference), stretched its home winning streak to 11 games, going back to last season. It was the worst defeat of the season for Auburn (9-7, 1-4), which lost by six points twice earlier. Auburn has lost four of its last five games. Its six earlier losses this season were by a combined 23 points. Auburn beat LSU in both meetings last season and in five of the last seven. Auburn is No. 2 in the SEC in scoring defense, LSU is No. 3. LSU was 26 of 57 from the field for 45.6 percent, while Auburn was 18 of 56 for only 32.1 percent including 4 of 17 from three-point range (23.5 percent). LSU outrebounded Auburn 44-38. ``I think the key was our rebounding,'' said LSU coach John Brady. ``We did make them turn the ball over, but our rebounding was what made the difference.'' Torris Bright scored 16 points for LSU, Brad Bridgewater had 13, and Collis Temple, who had a shot before the game and played with a hip-pointer, had 9 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Adam Harrington led Auburn with 14 points, Brandon Robinson and Kyle Davis each scored 10. Davis also had 8 rebounds. LSU took a 7-0 lead all from Bridgewater who found space under the basket despite Auburn's' tightly packed defense and hit three baskets and a free throw. ``They tried to press us early and we got a lot of fast-break opportunities,'' Bridgewater said. ``I was able to get a couple of quick baskets.'' Antonio Hudson's basket with 10:10 remaining in the first half put LSU ahead 20-4. But LSU didn't score again until Dupree's free throw at the 7:22 mark, allowing Auburn to cut the lead to 21-11. LSU forced nine Auburn turnovers in the first nine minutes of play including five on steals and held Auburn to 2-of-11 shooting for 18.2 percent. Auburn was outrebounded 7-2 during that stretch. Auburn outscored LSU 8-2 over the last two minutes of the half to cut LSU's lead 36-28 at the break. Dupree scored the first six points of the second half for LSU. Auburn cut LSU's lead to 46-40 on Marco Killingsworth's second field goal of the game with 11:40 left in the game. But after a basket by Robinson with 10:56 remaining, Auburn's only scores were at the free throw line, where they made 8 of 10 before Lincoln Glass hit a 3-pointer with 1:34 to go.

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