AUBURN, Ala. - In its first of two exhibition contests to begin the 2015-16 season, the Brevard College men's basketball team was outgunned by Division I Auburn 99-59 in exhibition action before 6,999 fans at Auburn Arena on Friday night.
The Tornados squared off against their first major-conference foe since traveling to face Wake Forest in 2013. Brevard was victimized by an Auburn defense that forced 18 turnovers and applied relentless full-court pressure throughout most of the contest.
After falling behind 50-20 at the intermission, Brevard heated up in the second half. The Tornados shot 46.2 percent (12 for 26) from the field in the second stanza and nearly doubled their first-half scoring output.
Demarcus Threatt, making his first appearance in a Brevard uniform after transferring from Division I Fairfield, led the Tornados with 16 points and fell a point shy of tying Auburn's Cinmeon Bowers for the game high. He was officially credited with a team-high three assists and committed just one turnover.
Recently-minted preseason second team all-conference selection Miles Leathers finished a point shy of a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds. The senior came within one rebound of tying his career high, which he set on two occasions last season. Sophomore guard Evan Dunham chipped in 12 points, which doubled his career high in regular-season contests, on 3-for-4 shooting from beyond the arc.
The Tornados cut Auburn's lead to two points just over five minutes into the first half on a Stevie Williams. But the Tigers used a pair of free throws and a dunk by Horace Spencer to spark a 41-13 run, ending on a buzzer-beating triple by Jordon Granger to send both teams to the locker room.
Bowers, whose 14 double-doubles a season ago are tops among returners in the Southeastern Conference, finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead all players in both categories. He paced a group of five Tigers to finish in double figures and helped Auburn gain a 53-33 advantage on the glass.
Auburn has now recorded wins in four of its last five contests following a shocking run to the SEC Tournament semifinals last March, where they fell to then-undefeated Kentucky. The Tigers face Indianapolis, another Division II opponent, next week before opening the regular season against Alabama-Birmingham on Nov. 13.
Brevard fell for the second time in as many contests against Bruce Pearl-led teams. The Tornados faced Pearl's Tennessee squad in a 2010 exhibition a season after the Volunteers fell a point shy of advancing to the Final Four. Pearl, now in his second season leading the Auburn program, won the 1995 Division II national title as the head coach at Southern Indiana. Last season was just the third time in 20 years as a head coach that a Pearl-coached team failed to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
The Tornados will be idle until next Saturday, when Brevard travels to UNC Asheville for its final preseason exhibition. The Bulldogs were the last Division I squad to fall to the Tornados, with Brevard coming from behind to earn a 73-69 win prior to the start of Brevard's run to the NCAA Tournament in the 2009-10 season. Tipoff from Kimmel Arena is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
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