The Auburn Tigers continued their perfect start to the regular season on Monday night, taking down the Appalachian State Mountaineers 75-53 largely thanks to Tahaad Pettiford’s 26 points, his most in a game since the Tigers’ second-round loss to Tennessee in the SEC Tournament last year. 

The Tigers came off a win over Southeastern Louisiana energized but still with much to prove, and the group answered quite a few questions in their win over the Mountaineers, who are ranked a full 44 spots lower than the Lions in the KenPom rankings.

The Mountaineers tried to set the tone early courtesy of a three-pointer from Jaylon Colon, but a quick Tahaad Pettiford layup and subsequent three-pointer erased the lead before the junior tacked on an and-one layup and made the free throw to score the Tigers’ first eight points of the game. 

The Tigers then went on a 15-4 run over the next six minutes, leading by as many as 13 before a 16-5 Appalachian State run brought the game within two points in the final six minutes of the half, and the Tigers entered the locker room with still quite a bit to prove.

After a lackadaisical start to the second half, the Tigers put together an 18-5 run midway through the period, and it was all downhill from there. The Tigers outscored the Mountaineers 37-17 in the second half, culminating in a 22-point victory for Steven Pearl’s squad, which led for nearly 39 minutes straight.

Besides Pettiford, no Tiger eclipsed the 10-point mark, though South Alabama transfer Adam Olsen and Utah State transfer Kolby King were able to manage nine points each off the bench, as the Tigers’ depth combined for 34 total points to App State’s 13.

After a dominant showing against Southeastern Louisiana, Tiger big men Narcisse Ngoy and Bukky Oboye were also a bit more muted against the Mountaineers, combining for 10 points and four blocks, though it is worth noting that Ngoy led the team in rebounds with 11. 

The Mountaineers shot a combined 32% from the field compared to the Tigers’ 40%, making 25% of their 28 three-point attempts, while the Tigers sank 33% of their 24 long-range pull-ups. 

Notably, Kevin Overton, the elder half of the Tigers’ starting guard duo, stayed quiet in Neville on Monday night, scoring just five total points on 1-of-6 shooting, 2-of-4 from the free-throw line, eerily reminiscent of his early days playing with the Tigers last season. If his 2025 season is any indication, though, his production can be expected to improve as the season continues.

The time for figuring things out is quickly coming to an end for the Tigers, though, as their next matchup against the No. 13 Arizona Wildcats will surely not be so forgiving. With the win ove the Mountaineers, the Tigers now have a 69-game non-conference home winning streak, the longest in college basketball, which will be put on the line on Friday. 

The Tigers’ biggest game yet this season is set to tip off on Friday at 8:00 p.m. CT in Neville Arena, and it will be broadcast on ESPN2.