After a nine-day break, Auburn men’s basketball returned to Neville Arena looking for one last easy-buy game win before conference play began.

Although Auburn got the win, defeating Monmouth 87-58, it didn’t always look easy. It took until the end of the first half for the Tigers to gain control of the game.

In the end, however, Auburn earned a lopsided victory, improving its record to 12-1 heading into this weekend’s Southeastern Conference play.

Here are three takeaways from the win over Monmouth:

Slow start

Monday night’s win didn’t follow the typical formula of Auburn quickly getting out to a big lead and moving on. Monmouth led at the first media timeout and stayed close for most of the first half.

Early in the game, Auburn appeared to be inept defensively, making open shots both in transition and from dribble penetrations. Monmouth took advantage of this in the opening minutes, hitting its first three 3-pointers early in the game.

The defensive game plan was pretty clear early on, with Auburn paying particular attention to Monmouth’s leading scorer, Abdi Bashir Jr. He often engaged multiple defenders, which led to some openings in dribble penetration and some miscommunications in transition.

Auburn finally turned things around and ended the first half with an 18-0 run. During this run the defense tightened up and Bashir could barely make contact with the ball.

Chaney Johnson’s Boost

With the scoreboard reading 28-28 at 6:32 of the first half, Auburn looked for a run to end the first half and take full control of the game in the halftime locker room.

The Tigers did just that, scoring 18 unanswered points before the halftime buzzer sounded, and the momentum was led by Chaney Johnson.

Johnson, who finished the game with 12 points, started the run with 10 straight points of his own. His baskets came in the halfcourt, in transition and at the free throw line, immediately providing a balanced spark on offense after he replaced the injured Dylan Cardwell, who did not return until the second half.

Johnson has been an impactful player for Auburn all season even when off the bench, and Monday night was no different. Not only were his 10 straight points and 12 total points impressive, but he also finished the game at +30 in 19 minutes played.

A new season begins

The buying games, showcases and invitations are over.

Auburn emerged from its daunting non-conference slate at an impressive 12-1, but now the real battle begins. The SEC is stronger than ever this season, which means there are no more easy games on the schedule.

However, after 13 games, there is no reason to believe the Tigers are not up for the challenge. Monday wasn’t a perfect 40 minutes, and the big win didn’t come against SEC-level competition, but it capped a non-conference schedule that included wins over teams like Houston, Iowa State and Purdue.

Short of a different result at Duke, Auburn couldn’t ask for much more from a non-conference game. But championships aren’t won in December, so there’s no time for Auburn to sleep or get complacent. There may have been a hint to start Monday’s game.

Still, the Tigers have put themselves in a position to enter conference play as a national contender. Saturday will be the first step in determining whether or not they reach that level.

Peter Rauterkus reports on Auburn Sports AL.com. You can follow him on X below @peter_rauterkus or send him an email at [email protected]M