Auburn has been eliminated from the SEC Tournament after falling 70-65 to Tennessee in the semifinals. The Tigers’ bench, which has been a strength for them throughout the season, went quiet, scoring only three points.

A 3-pointer from Chaney Johnson at the 12:39 mark of the first half was the only difference Auburn’s depth made on the scoreboard.

“Our bench has been terrific and we play best when everybody contributes,” AU coach Bruce Pearl said. “We almost had seven starters in a sense that Tahaad (Pettiford) and Chaney coming off the bench are just like starters. That's been a great, great strength for us all season long.”

Pettiford’s struggles stood out as he has been a dependable scorer for the Tigers all season. The true freshman shot 0-of-8 from the field and had his first scoreless game since Auburn’s season opener against Vermont.

Despite his struggles, Pearl is still confident in Pettiford and likes his chances of making an impact as the team shifts its focus to the NCAA Tournament.

“I'll roll with Tahaad all day every day,” Pearl said. “He's played great. One of the most impactful freshmen in all of college basketball.”

Pearl noted how a shift in offensive approach might be necessary for Auburn to maximize its ability to put points on the board.

“We probably offensively need to think about sharing it a little bit more,” Pearl said. “We run through Johni (Broome) pretty consistently. May step back and see if we can spread out our scoring a little bit, then that might make us even more dangerous and an even better team.”

The ability to rely on its bench is a luxury every team wishes it had. Auburn has had this luxury this season, despite its second group having off performances at times.

The Tigers hope to see their bench, which has averaged 28 points per game this season, regain its confidence as they look to make a run in the NCAA Tournament.