On a night that saw Auburn dominate every part of the floor one man stood out from the rest. That man, a newcomer to the Plains, one who is expected to fill big shoes. Tonight, that man proved why he is the exactly the person for the job. That man is Johni Broome. Behind a big performance from Broome, Auburn was able to secure a commanding victory against the Winthrop Eagles by a score of 89-65.
Coming off a game where he only scored three points, all of which came from the free throw line, Johni Broome had something to prove, and that is exactly what he did. The transfer from Morehead State has been battling a “bum ankle” according to Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl, but that ankle did not seem to affect him one bit in the win over the Eagles.
Broome finished the game with 18 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks, which gives him his first double-double in an Auburn uniform. In the first half alone, the 6’10” center from Plant City, Florida, would come out of the gate red hot, logging eight points, six rebounds and five blocks in only nine minutes of action.
"It felt good to perform tonight," Broome said. "Basically I just wanted to help my team win tonight. I know I had a good matchup tonight.”
Out of halftime the Tigers would go on a 7-0 run that would see the lead extend to 21 points. Allen Flanigan would spark the run with a deep three which gave him his first points of the night.
Coming off a game where Auburn was out rebounded by USF, Auburn would put together a solid all-around team effort on the glass. The Tigers would go on to out rebound the Eagles 53-33. Every player for Auburn would secure at least one rebound for the first time this season.
Wendell Green Jr. would remind every person inside Neville Arena how important he is to this squad. The guard put up 16 points in an impressive night that saw him shoot 4-for-6 from behind the arc.
"Wendell Green was the best player on the floor tonight, which was great to see," Pearl said. "He just did whatever he wanted to do."
Auburn’s depth was on full display as the Tigers had 11 different player score tonight. The depth has been touted as the reason Auburn has been able to go deep into games without losing energy due to this.
"It's just everyone knowing their role. Having 11 guys like that is pretty deep. We can get in and get out," Auburn guard Chance Westry said. "No one is saving their energy for later in the game. Guys are playing their hardest."
Highly touted, former five-star recruit Chance Westry saw his first action in an Auburn uniform. Westry has been working his way back from a knee injury throughout the beginning of this season. Pearl had mentioned earlier this week that Westry could see action in the USF game, however, despite warming up against USF, the freshman would not appear in the matchup.
Tonight was different though, as the Pennsylvania native logged his first appearance for the Tigers while putting up five points in 16 minutes. Westry finished the night playing three different positions and seemed to adapt to the college game with no issue while mentioning how practice has helped him immensely.
"The game was a little slower than practice, because we practice so fast," Westry said. "I was ready to compete."
Auburn will look to stay undefeated this Friday night against Texas Southern. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Neville Arena with coverage by SECN+.
