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Published Dec 2, 2022
K.D. a splash in rout
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Brian Stultz  •  AuburnSports
Staff Writer
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@brianjstultz

AUBURN | K.D. Johnson took a bit of a knock at the end of the first half, needing attention from the training staff before getting up and walking off to the locker room.

That was the only time Colgate could keep the junior guard down as he scored 13 of his team-high 16 points in the first half as Auburn routed the Raiders, 93-66, in Neville Arena.

"I'm good. You've seen me get back up there," Johnson said after the game.

Despite his shooting accuracy, Johnson's top play of the night might have come on an assist. Driving into the lane, three Colgate players surrounded him, and Johnson somehow saw Dylan Cardwell open on the other side of the lane. He hit him with a bounce pass, and Cardwell finished with a dunk. Celebrating the assist, Johnson took his two hands and made goggle eyes while Colgate took a timeout. In 18 minutes on the floor, he had two assists with no turnovers.

"KD was just really, really productive," Bruce Pearl said. "It was great to see him shoot the ball like that."

Johnson was perfect from three in the first half, making all three attempts while finishing 4-of-6 from the field overall. The hit to the head didn't seem to affect Johnson that much following halftime, as he came out and drained a three at 13:18 to give the Tigers a 20-point advantage.

So did Auburn think of holding Johnson out with such a sizable advantage? Pearl says no.

"He was fine," Pearl said. "He took a hit in the head. He got his bell rung, but his bell's always rung. I don't think you could tell the difference."

The Tigers shot 55.2 percent overall from the floor, including 45.5 from three, making a season-high 10 three-pointers in the win.

Auburn has a week off before traveling to Atlanta to take on Memphis in the Holiday Hoopsgiving on Saturday, Dec. 10.

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