AUBURN, Ala. - The No. 5 Auburn Tigers defeated the Kent State Golden Flashes in Neville Arena on Wednesday night behind strong performances from Chaney Johnson and Johni Broome.
Johnson and Broome both logged 18 points, while Broome also added 12 rebounds. The Tigers also got double-digit scoring performances from Denver Jones and Chad Baker-Mazara, each adding 12 points. Despite an off-shooting night, the Tigers were able to find a way to score without relying on the three ball.
“Look, you gotta make shots to win,” head coach Bruce Pearl said in a post-game press conference. “The fact that we were still able to score 79. We got the ball inside to Chaney and Johni…Johni was 8/12 and Chaney was 8/11. That’s just tremendous.”
Auburn was once again able to use its size and depth to its advantage, as the Tigers outrebounded the Golden Flashes 41-33 and added 31 bench points as well. Johnson provided a spark off the bench with his stellar performance and freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford tallied nine points, all in the second half, to propel the Tigers to victory.
“All credit to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” Johnson said when asked about his performance. “Without him, I wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t be able to do what I do. I would attribute it to my teammates trusting in me, Coach Pearl getting me the ball in the right spots, and I’m just making shots.”
The Tigers' defense was superb in this one, holding Kent State to just 32% from the field and 23% from three-point range. VonCameron Davis and Jalen Sullinger led Kent State with 19 and 18 points, respectively, but no one else was able to get above five points for the Golden Flashes. Auburn was able to protect the rim as they have done all season, with Broome leading the Tigers with three blocks.
Kent State’s best chance at grabbing momentum came at the end of the first half and in the early parts of the second half. The Golden Flashes were able to cut the Tigers' lead to four and even held the Tigers scoreless for five minutes of game time. However, the Tigers were able to recover, quickly stretching the lead back to double-digits and never looking back again.
With this win, Auburn continues its home win streak against non-conference opponents to 56 games. This game also marked the 57th consecutive sellout in Neville Arena, as the relatively young arena continues to stake its claim as one of the perennial home-court advantages in college basketball.
The Tigers will be back in action Monday night against the University of North Alabama Lions in Neville Arena. Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. You can watch on SECN and the ESPN app, or listen on the Auburn Sports Network.
