Danjel Purifoy didn't know Auburn's senior class had broken the program's four-year wins record with 88 victories.
He smiled when he was told by a reporter postgame, then immediately underscored Auburn's growth as a program by naming off players like 2016 enrollees Austin Wiley and Mustapha Heron, as well as 5-star freshman Isaac Okoro.
There was one player not mentioned, however, that just so happened to play an instrumental role in Auburn's SEC home-opening victory — Purifoy himself.
The senior's late-game defense, namely a steal with 23 seconds left, helped propel the No. 5 Tigers to a 83-79 win over Vanderbilt on Wednesday, keeping them unbeaten on the year at 14-0 (2-0 SEC).
Following a Vanderbilt timeout, with Auburn leading 82-79, Commodores guard Saben Lee looked to make a routine inbounds pass to center Ejike Obinna at the top of the key to get a nail-biting possession rolling.
Purifoy had other plans. He anticipated and jumped the pass perfectly, taking the steal down to the other end of the floor and burning six more seconds off the clock before passing to J'Von McCormick, who was promptly fouled.
The takeaway evoked the loudest roar of the night from the Auburn Arena crowd — even louder than after Okoro's SportsCenter-worthy dunk.
As soon as the senior power forward was successful with his swipe, he smelled victory.
“A ‘W,'" Purifoy said of what he saw on the defensive play. "Once I got it, I just knew the game was over, so that was a great feeling."
Purifoy said he's made a big commitment to improving his defense his senior season, particularly in his footwork when switching on guards around the 3-point line and his positioning when defending players slashing toward the rim.
"That’s just my main focus right now," Purifoy said.
Much is often made of Okoro's NBA-level defense, and rightfully so, but Purifoy has been heavily relied on by Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl on that end of the floor, as well. Pearl noted that, in his eyes, Purifoy has been succeeding in his quest for defensive improvement and versatility.
"I'm always on Danjel to make plays defensively — and not hope they miss," Pearl said. "He made some really good plays tonight. He really did. He switched off on some guards and kept them in front. Obviously, he makes the play late. Good stuff.”
Purifoy also continued his recent theme of strong, second-half surges on the other end of the floor. After he helped Auburn extend its lead with an 8-0 run by himself in the Tigers' 80-68 win at Mississippi State last week, he had a 6-0 run out of the halftime break against Vanderbilt.
Scoring 10 points in the second half after just one basket through the first 20 minutes, Purifoy was aggressive attacking the hoop. He threw down a rim-rocking slam for Auburn's next basket after Okoro's dunk, and he was crafty working around Vanderbilt's frontcourt once he rose to their level for layups.
“I didn’t really do much in the first half, but coming out in the second half, I knew I had to be more aggressive for us to get this win," Purifoy said.
All 12 of Purifoy's points came in the paint or at the foul line after 9 of his 11 points against Mississippi State came from beyond the arc. On a night where Auburn shot just 5-for-20 from 3-point range against Vanderbilt, Purifoy's ability to produce inside or outside from game to game was critical for Pearl's offense.
"He handled it well and played with more confidence," Pearl said of Purifoy taking charge. "That was really positive.”
Auburn plays Georgia in Auburn Arena on Saturday at 5 p.m. CST.
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