Auburn basketball uses 3-point shooting to earn season opening victory over Vermont

No. 11 Auburn basketball easily dispatched Vermont, the three-time reigning America East Conference tournament champions, in its season opener Wednesday at Neville Arena, taking down the Catamounts 94-43.

The Tigers (1-0) showcased its depth with five players scoring in double figures and their improved shooting from beyond the arc. Georgia Tech transfer Miles Kelly and Chaney Johnson impressed, combining for 34 points off the bench as Kelly made seven 3-pointers.

Here are some other observations from Auburn’s season-opening win over Vermont (1-1) before a big neutral-site clash versus Houston this weekend.

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Chad Baker-Mazara leads Auburn basketball’s 3-point barrage

Baker-Mazara got the 3-point party going for the Tigers, draining a trey less than two minutes into the game. JP Pegues, Kelly and Johni Broome joined in each splashing in threes during the first 11 minutes of the game.

Auburn’s 50% shooting from beyond the arc helped the Tigers build their early 20-point lead. Baker-Mazara added two more threes as part of an 8-2 run later in the first half to blow this game wide open.

In total, Auburn shot 44.4% from beyond the arc in the first half, connecting on eight 3-pointers. The Tigers would convert eight more threes in the second half to finish the game shooting 45.7% from beyond the arc.

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Tigers exploit Vermont’s turnovers

The Catamounts were no match for Auburn’s size and physicality and turned the ball over a lot in the first half. The Tigers forced seven first-half steals as part of Vermont’s 12 turnovers. Auburn made Vermont pay for its careless mistakes, cashing in those 12 turnovers into 18 points. The Tigers would finish the game scoring 25 points off turnovers.

Johni Broome comes alive in second half

The AP preseason first-team All-American had a quiet first half, only scoring five points with four rebounds. Broome came alive in the second half ,scoring five points in the first four-and-a-half minutes. The center showed off his improved 3-point shot, converting on 2-of-5 shots from beyond the arc.

Broome finished the game with 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in just 22 minutes of action. in Auburn’s 51-point win.

Contact Judith Altneu at jaltneu@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn basketball dispatches Vermont behind hot 3-point shooting