Steven Pearl shouts out Elyjah Freeman for game-winning shot: ‘That’s the Elyjah we need’
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In a clash between two of the SEC’s NCAA Tournament contenders, Auburn halted a 5-game losing streak when it took down similarly reeling Kentucky in the closing moments Saturday night.
The Tigers trailed by as much as 9 in a game that experienced a myriad of plot twists, but in the end, a tip-in on a missed shot from sophomore guard Elyjah Freeman won the day with just 1.4 seconds left on the clock.
A loss would have dropped Auburn to 14-13 in Steven Pearl’s first season at the helm, which explains why the head coach was so relieved afterwards.
And while speaking with the media, Pearl also made sure to applaud Freeman’s efforts in the final seconds, explaining that the 6-foot-8 perimeter player could be a major key to his team’s success down the line.
“That’s the Elyjah we need every game to beat the best teams on our schedule,” Pearl said.
The sophomore out of Palm Beach and Lincoln Memorial (TN) has been one of Auburn’s more consistent bench performers this season, as Freeman averages 9.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 44.5% from the floor.
The Tigers will look to start a new win streak when they visit Oklahoma on at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, while dates with Ole Miss (home), LSU (home) and Alabama (road) follow.
Parker is currently the sports editor for the Enterprise-Journal in McComb, Mississippi. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
