It was Auburn’s first big game inside Neville Arena this season as the Tigers blasted Virginia Tech 74-57 in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge.

Was this Auburn’s most complete effort of the year? Not quite. But Bruce Pearl’s team still cruised past an opponent — Auburn never trailed — without its best stuff on offense.

It did have its best stuff on defense though.

Here are three takeaways.

Auburn was worried about starting rusty. Well, it didn’t.

Auburn came into this game after a long Thanksgiving break where Auburn went eight days without a game, Pearl was worried Auburn might come out rusty against the best team it had played since the season opener against Baylor.

It didn’t.

Auburn opened the game on an 11-1 run. Virginia Tech committed four turnovers before the under-16 media timeout in the first half. Auburn got nine points off those turnovers.

It took an already energized Neville Arena and raised the intensity. This was the first big game played in this building this season and Auburn played like it coming out of the gate.

Auburn did not have its A-game on offense

While Auburn may not have started rusty, the Auburn offense that has been so prolific over the first five games of this season wasn’t there Wednesday night.

After the 11-1 run to start the game, Auburn made just four of its next 17 shots and five its of its next 21 stretching into the second half. It had a stretch of seven missed shots in a row beginning before halftime and running until Tre Donaldson made a shot with just over 15 minutes to play in the second half.

This wasn’t the typical Auburn effort of balanced scoring from its deep rotation. Only four players had scored for Auburn by halftime.

And yet Auburn found a way to win (more on why a bit below).

Johni Broome and Chad Baker-Mazara were spectacular. The only thing missing from his night was a put-back dunk he just barely missed in the second half.

Broome finished with a game-high, and career-high 30 points.

Auburn beat a good Virginia Tech team on a totally off night for Aden Holloway, who did not score. Tre Donaldson was spectacular off the bench in his place. And even on a night where Holloway didn’t produce scoring-wise, he still had one of Auburn’s better +/- ratios.

Auburn found a different way to win. About that…

It DID have its A-game on defense, finally

What an incredible effort from the most maligned part of this Auburn team.

Auburn was able to build a lead that it maintained more so because of its defense than its offense, something Pearl has hardly been able to say this year.

Virginia Tech averages about 11 turnovers per game and Auburn forced the Hokies to hit that mark by halftime. It forced 21 in the game.

Auburn finished the game with 11 steals and seven blocks — highlighted by Chaney Johnson in the game’s final 10 minutes.

Auburn was able to pull away for good midway through the second half when it forced a 2+ minute Virginia Tech scoring drought as part of a stretch where the Hokies made two of 10 shots.

And Auburn closed out Virginia Tech, Auburn forced a nearly five-minute stretch with it didn’t allow a made field goal at all. In that time, Auburn built a lead close to 20 points.

Auburn allowed Virginia Tech to shoot only 27%.

That is a big improvement from an Auburn team that had played so many poor second halves this season. Instead of faltering late, Auburn closed out an opponent, and a good opponent.

Auburn’s biggest issue was again falling into some foul trouble. Auburn has been one of the worst teams in America this year with regard to fouling — 318th nationally and second worst in the SEC entering the night averaging 20.8 fouls per game.

It was especially a problem in the first half in what became a free-throw shooting contest for both teams. There were more than 60, SIXTY, total free throws shot in the game. Gross.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at [email protected]