Once again, No. 1 Auburn managed to get the job done. The Tigers handled Oklahoma on Tuesday night, winning 98-70 despite shooting 31 percent from 3-point range, one of their worst performances of the season from deep range.
Denver Jones, who has settled in well at the point guard spot, had one of his best performances of the season against the Sooners. He recorded 13 points, three rebounds and four assists while shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from the field, three of those baskets coming from beyond the arc.
“Honestly, just going out and playing basketball, playing within the flow of the offense, being aggressive when it's time to be aggressive, look for my teammates when it's time to look for my teammates,” Jones said. “Honestly just going out there and playing basketball.”
In addition to his stellar shooting performance, Jones took care of the ball, an important aspect of a point guard’s performance.
“Denver was terrific,” AU coach Bruce Pearl said. “Denver didn’t miss a shot – four assists, one turnover. Just did such a great job.”
Jones’ four assists placed him second on the team behind Johni Broome who had six. Chaney Johnson and Tahaad Pettiford added three apiece. Their willingness to share the ball showed up on the scoreboard, as five members of the Tigers crossed the double-digit threshold in the points column.
“It's just a testament to the fact that we love each other and love sharing the ball,” Jones said. “We respect everyone and everyone's game on our team. And I feel like that's one of the reasons why we're so good and why our team is so deep.
“It's just, like, we share the ball. We encourage each other each shot, no matter what it is. I feel like that's what really makes us great.”
It has been two months since Auburn has dropped a game, and its ability to share the ball and go to different sources for points is a contributing factor. Auburn will be challenged over its next few contests, however.
Jones and the rest of the Tigers return to action on Saturday, hosting No. 6 Florida at 3 p.m. CT. ESPN will carry the broadcast.
