Auburn manages high-low emotion of wild NCAA Tournament win
SALT LAKE CITY — Auburn assistant coach Wes Flanigan wrapped his arm around Samir Doughty's shoulder as they walked off the floor. Per Doughty, Flanigan was trying to keep Doughty positive after showing disappointment with his late-game missed free throws. Bryce Brown and Horace Spencer had stone-cold faces, no smiles to be seen, despite winning only the second NCAA Tournament game of their career. Jared Harper shook his head in disbelief.
Bruce Pearl was the last one off the floor, and his reaction said it all. He took a deep breath, a heavy sigh and flapped his lips as if to say: We really got away with one there.
"They call it survive and advance for a reason," Pearl said.
NCAA Tournament victories are supposed to incite the happiest of moments.
This one solicited mixed reactions.
Auburn led by as much as 13 points. The Tigers held what seemed to be a comfortable seven-point lead under the one-minute mark. But a series of careless turnovers, missed free throws and defensive lapses provided a nail-biter finish the Tigers barely escaped.
The initial emotion as player walked off the floor mimicked the experience as they walked into the locker room.
"Everybody was mad when we came back in," Spencer said. "I like that because we’re still hungry. We still want to play. We still want to be able to advance. We want to make sure we’re here. We’re the underdogs still. People are still counting us out. And that’s exactly what we want."
It marked Auburn's ninth win in a row, ending New Mexico State's 19-game streak. It was only the second time anyone on the team had won an NCAA Tournament game. It was supposed to be a moment of elation.
But it couldn't be because of how it unfolded.
"It doesn’t feel as good as I thought it would be after a tournament game. But I guess it’s OK because we live to see another day," Brown said.
Once the immediate frustrations wore off, and Bruce Pearl offered up an uplifting postgame speech, the Tigers were able to enjoy the win.
Auburn's leaders recognized how close this one came to season-ending disappointment.
"I feel like the heads down is probably just the initial reaction. We’re in a much better mood right now. The heads down just came because of how we almost lost the game, how the season almost potentially could’ve ended right there," Brown said. "But as long as we come away with the win, we look at it as we’re survivors. We’re in a much better mood right now than right when the game ended."
Pearl likes to hear those types of comments from his team.
Are they frustrated? Of course. Should they be? Absolutely.
But Pearl doesn't want them to get too down on themselves because a NCAA Tournament win, more than anything else, isn't a loss. And based on his team's disappointment in winning fashion, he knows he has a team that cares, a team that realizes the heartbreak they nearly encountered.
"I think it’s a great sign they were down and frustrated. They realize they almost let one slip away. They care," Pearl said. "I tell parents all the time. Coach, what do I do with my son when he makes a mistake, pouts and puts his head down, sometimes even cries? I say, listen, it’s easier to teach them to care a little less than to teach them to care at all. Our guys are hard on themselves and are a little down because they want this so badly. It’s a great problem to have."
