AUBURN | Lost in the stunning debut of Sharife Cooper Saturday was a standout performance by another Auburn freshman.

JT Thor had 15 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, three steals and two assists in the 94-90 loss to Alabama. He’s the third Division I player to record that stat line this season and the only freshman.

“I thought JT Thor showed -- continues to show great, making great strides,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said.

What’s most impressive about Thor’s performance is that he did it after picking up two early fouls and playing just seven minutes in the first half. His second half stat line was 12 points, six rebounds, three blocks, two steals and two assists.

“I put him in late in the first half. I thought we needed a little bit more punch,” Pearl said. “I know he had two fouls but just didn't want to let Alabama go into the locker room and control the game. And he responded. And played through foul trouble.

“I don't have a hard rule that when you get two, you have to sit the whole half. I don't. I tend to play that way, but not always. So he did a great job. He just wants to get better. He just wants to be a great player.”

Thor finished with career-highs in points, rebounds and blocks against Alabama. His +8 was the best by an AU player. The Anchorage, Alaska native has started all 12 games of his Auburn career so far.

“A lot. I’d say a lot,” said Thor on his improvement this season. “I’d say the first couple of games, I didn’t find a rhythm, really. I was kind of just running around like a chicken with his head cut off.

“But now I feel like I’m making a big impact on defense and offense. So I’m happy about that.”

Auburn, 6-6 overall and 0-4 in the SEC, plays at Georgia Wednesday night at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network. The Bulldogs are 7-3 overall and 0-3 in the conference.