Jeff Lebo’s slow but steady plan to barnstorm the Yellowhammer State will make its final stop tonight in Huntsville.
Lebo took the Tigers on trips to Mobile, Birmingham and Montgomery during the 2007-08 season. Two seasons later, he’ll complete that trek of the state’s four biggest cities when Auburn plays Alabama A&M at the Von Braun Center.
Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m.
“We’ve made a commitment years ago that we wanted to play at different places in the state,” Lebo said. “It is nice to be able to move around into different areas. We have a huge state and different people who are Auburn fans, and it will give them a chance to make it a little bit easier to come watch us play.”
Those trips two years ago certainly weren’t like the Harlem Globetrotters going from gym to gym.
In just their third game of the season, the Tigers trailed for the majority of their game at Montgomery’s Acadome against Alabama State before mounting a comeback and sneaking away with a 63-60 victory. Two weeks later, Auburn was embarrassed by Big East power West Virginia at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, 88-49.
The Tigers wrapped up their in-state stretch with another close game against suspect competition one week later, a 71-63 victory over Southern University at the Coors Classic in Mobile.
The Tigers are 1-1 all-time in the Rocket City, with their last trip in 2003 resulting in a 105-56 victory over Grambling. Their only other trip to Huntsville resulted in a 72-70 loss to Tennessee Tech in 1989.
Recent history, though, has the Tigers likely coming back with their second straight victory. Auburn doubled up the Bulldogs and then some last season at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum, 82-40.
As is usually the case when facing smaller schools, Lebo said he doesn’t know much about this year’s Bulldogs simply because he doesn’t have much film to work with.
“They are very athletic, and they play multiple defenses,” Lebo said. “Playing them up there is always going to be difficult.”
Auburn is coming off a commanding performance against High Point, in which it produced one of its strongest starts to a game all season. The Tigers used a 22-2 run to open the contest on their way to clearing the benches and winning, 75-54.
A win tonight would give Lebo his 200th of his now 12-year coaching career. Eighty-four of those wins have come with the Tigers while the rest came at Tennessee Tech and Chattanooga.
agribble@oanow.com | 737-2561
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