Losing on the road in conference play is understandable, especially against a team that's top 40 in both KenPom and the NET rankings.

Getting blown out, however, isn't a good look.

Auburn basketball could get next to nothing going against Florida in the O'Connell Center on Saturday, falling in miserable fashion to the Gators, 81-65. The Tigers haven't gone to Gainesville and left with with a win since February 1996. Auburn coach Bruce Pearl was a 35-year-old assistant at Iowa then, and his son − associate head coach Steven Pearl − was just 7 years old.

That streak will continue for at least one more year, as the Gators (16-7, 6-4 SEC) jumped on the Tigers (19-5, 8-3) early and never trailed. Auburn is now 2-4 in Quadrant 1 opportunities, with three of those losses − Alabama, Florida and Mississippi State − coming on the road. The other was a season-opening defeat on a neutral floor against Baylor.

ACCOLADES: Whether he wins the award or not, Johni Broome is playing like an SEC Player of the Year

FOOTBALL: Auburn can't rest on 2024 recruiting if Hugh Freeze wants to prove he 'leapfrogged'

Florida immediately pounces on Auburn basketball

The Gators wasted no time in taking control, jumping out to 13-2 lead before six minutes had elapsed off the clock. Auburn opened by missing 15 of its first 19 shots, and the Tigers couldn't connect on their first 3-pointer until their seventh attempt.

It was the second-worst scoring half of the season for Auburn (26 points); the only worse showing came in the opening 20 minutes at Mississippi State on Jan. 27 (21 points).

KD Johnson by himself

Senior guard KD Johnson had 38.5% of Auburn's points in the first half. His teammates shot 24% in that time, including an 0-for-9 mark from 3-point range.

Jaylin Williams, who scored a career-best 26 points against Alabama on Wednesday, was held to six points.

Giving the ball away

Auburn only had five turnovers in its impressive 18-point victory over the Crimson Tide. The Tigers eclipsed that mark with 8:23 remaining in the first half. They finished with 15, and Florida had 16 points off of those giveaways.

Next up on Auburn basketball's schedule

The Tigers will return home to Neville Arena for a matchup with South Carolina on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network). The Gamecocks have been one of the season's biggest surprises, and they proved their legitimacy with a win over Tennessee on Jan. 30.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn basketball uncharacteristically blown out at Florida