Auburn hasn’t been the most efficient 3-point shooting team this season. In fact, the 3-point arc has been more of a bugaboo than an ally to Bruce Pearl’s team this year, with Auburn entering its game against LSU ranked 329th nationally in 3-point percentage (30.2 percent).

On Wednesday night, when Auburn needed them the most, it managed to knock down some timely shots from beyond the arc to stave off a second-half rally by LSU and cruise to a 67-49 win at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, its fourth consecutive victory overall as Pearl’s team improved to 15-3 and 5-1 in SEC.

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Allen Flanigan, K.D. Johnson and Wendell Green Jr. all hit big-time triples to help Auburn create some separation after LSU cut Auburn’s double-digit halftime lead down to two points early in the second half. LSU opened the half on an 11-2 run, trimming Auburn’s advantage to 34-32 with 15:50 to play in Baton Rouge, La.

Then Auburn answered in a big way.

Flanigan knocked down a corner 3-pointer to stop the bleeding after initially hesitating to pull the trigger. LSU responded with its own 3-pointer on the next trip down the court, but Auburn followed with a 7-0 spurt that was capped by a deep shot from Johnson that pushed the lead back to nine. After LSU again answered on the other end, Green put Auburn back in front by double digits with a 3-pointer of his own.

It might as well have been a dagger from the fearless point guard, who finished with 14 points — tied with Jaylin Williams for the team lead — to go along with four assists and zero turnovers, as Auburn led by double digits for the rest of the night. Auburn lead swelled to as many as 19 points down the stretch, and LSU never really threatened over the game’s final 12:29. Auburn finished the game just 8-of-24 from beyond the arc — and just 3-of-13 after halftime, but those three makes from deep proved crucial on the road.

“Guys just taking open shots, finding the open man and making the extra pass,” Green said of Auburn’s perimeter shooting, which has come up big the last couple games. “Not being selfish. We’re taking the right shots. That’s the main thing.”

Here are AL.com’s key takeaways from Wednesday’s action:

K.J. Williams got his, but Auburn’s defense delivered

K.J. Williams delivered for LSU, but the home team didn’t get much else going offensively against a stout Auburn defense on Wednesday night.

Williams, the reigning OVC Player of the Year who followed Matt McMahon to LSU, finished with 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting with eight rebounds. He was LSU’s only real consistent source of offense, particularly in the first half, when he scored 12 of his team’s 21 points while shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. The rest of LSU’s rotation shot a combined 2-of-17 (11.8 percent) in the first half, including 0-of-8 from deep.

Auburn took a 32-21 lead into halftime thanks to LSU’s offensive struggles, as the home Tigers shot a collective 7-of-27 from the field (25.9 percent) and 2-of-11 on 3-pointers (18.2 percent). LSU had separate streaks of seven and six consecutive missed shot attempts in the first half, the former as part of a nearly 7-minute spell without a make and the latter as part of a 5-minute, 46-second scoring drought for LSU.

While LSU’s offense showed signs of life coming out of the half, knocking down six of its first nine shots while cutting Auburn’s lead down to two, it wasn’t sustainable against Auburn’s defense.

“We knew we had to step our defense back up,” Green said. “That’s what we did, and we held it steady for the rest of the game.”

Auburn limited LSU to 49 points on the night, which was the second-fewest points allowed by Pearl’s team this season, and it marked the first time since 2013 against Alabama that Auburn has held an SEC opponent to fewer than 50 points in a game.

LSU shot just 29.3 percent against Auburn (also the second-worst clip by an opponent this year), including 20 percent (4-of-20) from deep, and committed 11 turnovers that led to 15 points the other way for Auburn. LSU closed the game missing 15 of its final 16 shots, with no made baskets over the final 6:27 and just six points during that final stretch of action.

“Defensively, we had seen Florida guard LSU in here a week or two ago,” Pearl said. “And mid-clock, they were switching, We switched really, really early because KJ’s so good on the perimeter and we didn’t want to give him any free ones. And our big guys, Dylan Cardwell and Johni Broome, can move their feet and guard guards. So that switching defense really, really bothered a lot of what LSU did. To hold them down to 49 points on 29 percent shooting, that’s pretty spectacular.”

Big minutes from Lior Berman

With Chris Moore sidelined for the second straight game due to a shoulder injury, Auburn again turned to walk-on Lior Berman to pick up some slack in the rotation. The senior from Birmingham delivered, too, turning in the best game of his career.

Berman scored a career-high tying eight points while playing 16 minutes off the bench (a career-high in SEC play) and providing some welcome depth on the wing for Auburn. He provided an early burst off the bench in the first half, when he scored five points—a 3-pointer and then a layup coming out of the under-12 timeout, as Pearl designed an out-of-bounds play for the former Mountain Brook standout. Berman’s basket out of the timeout gave Auburn its first double-digit lead of the night at 16-6, and it gave him a season-high five points in the first half.

Berman continued to step up in the second half. He hit a floater off the dribble and through contact to give Auburn a 15-point lead — its biggest of the night to that point — with 11:01 to play. That basket, plus the free throw, helped Berman tie his previous career-high of eight points, which he set in last season’s win against Nebraska. He finished the night shooting 3-of-4 from the field and added a rebound.

“How about Lior Berman? Being able to come off the bench and ball and just act like he belongs out there,” Pearl said. “He makes us a better team. He did it last year. He’s doing it again this year. So a really good team victory.”

Finally, a quick start on the road

Auburn has been slow out of the gate in road games since the start of SEC play, falling behind early on against both Georgia and Ole Miss. Pearl was keenly aware of that, and he knew a quick start would be beneficial in Baton Rouge.

He got that from his team Wednesday night, as Auburn jumped out to an 11-5 lead before the first media timeout against LSU. During that opening stretch, Auburn shot 50 percent from the floor and hit two of its first three attempts from beyond the arc — including a 3-pointer from Zep Jasper just 13 seconds into the game, giving Auburn a lead it would never relinquish. LSU, meanwhile, opened just 2-of-9 shooting overall and 1-of-4 from deep.

“All five guys were locked in on defense, and it showed,” Green said.

That fast start helped, especially as both offenses hit a lull after that opening stint of play. Auburn and LSU combined for just four points between media timeouts, with the lone made basket during that stretch coming from Berman on a 3-pointer late in the shot clock. Berman’s triple ended a 3-minute, 59-second scoring drought for Auburn, while LSU was just 2-of-12 shooting overall by the time the teams hit the under-12 timeout.

Auburn rode that fast start to an 11-point halftime lead, which it never gave up despite LSU’s rally early in the second half.

“LSU, their back was against the wall a little bit tonight and we really knew,” Pearl said. “We established ourselves pretty well. Played pretty well early. Led for most of the game.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.