Andre Malone hit a 3-pointer with 6:28 to play in the game to give Auburn a 2-point lead Saturday.

The Tigers didn’t score another basket until there were 9 seconds left.

By that time it was too late, as Auburn dropped its third consecutive game to start the season with a 61-54 loss to Campbell at Auburn Arena.

“It’s the growing pains,” Auburn first-year head coach Tony Barbee said. “It’s the growing pains that I’ve been talking about since I got here. It’s the growing pains. It’s part of it. Understanding how to win. It doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process.”

Auburn’s 6 minute, 19 second scoring drought allowed Campbell to go on a 10-0 run to put the game away and stay undefeated in the Global Hoops Sports Showcase this weekend.

Auburn will play Middle Tennessee State today at 6 p.m., while Campbell will play Samford prior to the Tigers’ tip in the final day of the four-team tournament.

Auburn (0-3), which trailed by as many as 8 in the first half, went on a 12-5 run to end the opening 20 minutes, highlighted by back-to-back Malone 3-pointers.

The Tigers took a 4-point lead heading into the locker room, and extended its second-half lead to 8 points on a free throw by Josh Wallace with 15:36 to play, which was the largest of the night.

After that, however, the “growing pains” showed up.

Campbell (2-2), which was led by Amir Celestin’s 13 points, went on a 9-0 run to take a 43-42 lead with 10:42 remaining. Then, just 4 minutes later, came Auburn’s drought.

“We put ourselves in position all three games this year — two from leads and one from behind — we put ourselves in position to win,” Barbee said. “We just don’t quite understand how to win.”

Auburn committed 24 turnovers in the contest, which led to 25 Campbell points.

“Of our 24 turnovers, I bet half of them were travels. I’m guessing half of them were travels,” Barbee said. “I mean, you’re talking about basic basketball plays. You’ve got to dribble it before you take off walking.

“You can’t beat yourself, and that’s what we did tonight.”

Malone led Auburn with 17 points, going 5-for-8 from behind the 3-point arc. The sophomore guard was the only Tiger in double digits for the second consecutive night.

Adrian Forbes and Earnest Ross each added 7 points.

“We’ve got to find more people that can score the basketball,” Malone said.

Auburn’s 0-3 start is the worst since the Tigers went 0-5 to begin the 1989-90 season.

“It’s real tough,” Malone said. “We talk about it all the time, we’ve got to find a way. We’re so young. It’s like, we’re trying hard, but we got to find a way to win. Right now, we don’t know how to win, right now. So, we’ve got to do something. We’ve got to do a little bit more in practice to find a way to win.”

Which would go a long way.

“It’s not pleasant. It doesn’t feel good,” Barbee said. “It is a hurt locker room. You’ve got a hurt coach, because I hate losing more than I like winning.

“But we’re going to get there. It’s like I told them, it’s a long year. It’s a learning year and we’ve got to catch on and come on.”

| 737-2513