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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- Auburn starters Chris Porter and Mamadou
N'diaye took care of the interior game, and two Tigers reserves patrolled
the perimeter.
Daymeon Fishback and Reggie Sharp combined for 33 points off the bench as the Tigers (No. 7 ESPN/USA Today, No. 6 AP) beat Bradley 78-64 Thursday night.
Fishback had 18 points, including three 3-pointers, and Sharp made all four of his shots for a career-high 15 points, going 2-for-2 from behind the arc.
"I thought Reggie Sharp gave us the spark that we needed,"
Auburn coach Cliff Ellis said. "He made some big plays in this
game. I'm really pleased overall with the way we played."
It was Auburn's fifth straight win and snapped a three-game
winning streak for Bradley (4-3).
N'diaye had 14 points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots.
Porter had 13 points and 10 rebounds while rejecting three shots.
Their presence, as well as Auburn's press, took their toll.
"In the second half, we just got tired and didn't get inside
play," Bradley coach Jim Molinari said. "They also hit their 3s,
and that really hurt us. Their press was effective. It just wore us
down."
Molinari said the Tigers are better with the athletic Porter
doing most of his work close to the basket.
"Auburn will win if Chris Porter plays like a blood-and-guts
warrior," he said. "For Auburn to win a national championship,
he's got to dominate from 13 feet in."
The Tigers, who have struggled with their shooting all season,
shot 54 percent in the second half. They came in shooting 39
percent for the season and hit at a 37-percent clip in the first
half.
"They had a great night shooting, and hadn't shot like that all
year," Molinari said. "They started hitting shots in the second
half and then we went on a dry spell."
Rob Dye led Bradley with 16 points on 7-of-20 shooting. David
Selby and Eric Roberson had 12 points each and Eddie Cage added 10.
Roberson also had seven rebounds, six assists and four steals.
Fishback and Sharp weren't the only reserves playing big roles
for the Tigers. Freshman point guard Jamison Brewer had six assists
and backup forward David Hamilton had five points and nine
rebounds.
Both were in their third games back after becoming academically
eligible, providing much-needed depth for Auburn.
"Our bench gave us a lift," Ellis said. "We're going to need
that. Everybody's going to get time, because the way we play is
going to provide that."
Auburn struggled early, trailing 11-6 before mounting a 17-1
run.
The defense picked up the slack, holding Bradley without a field
goal for nearly five minutes starting at the 11:53 mark of the
first half.
Mack McGadney, who took over at small forward for Fishback,
scored just three points in 10 minutes.
Bradley closed within 41-40 with 17:11 left on a 3-pointer by
Dye, but Auburn used a 10-1 run midway through the second half to
pull away.
The Tigers led by as much as 76-55 with 1:30 left in the game.
The game was part of the Coors Classic at South Alabama. Ellis
was head coach of the Jaguars from 1975-84 and is the school's
winningest coach.
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Bradley Clubhouse
Auburn Clubhouse
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