ATLANTA – The Auburn Tigers bested the Michigan State Spartans 70-64 Sunday to advance to their second-ever Final Four. Following wins by Duke, Florida, and Houston, Auburn became the fourth and final top seed to advance to San Antonio, just the second-such occurrence in Tournament history.
Johni Broome was lights out for Auburn. The All-American big man had yet another double-double in one of the best games of his career. He scored the Tigers’ first six points and helped to lead a 17-0 Auburn run midway through the first half that proved to be too much for the Spartans to overcome.
Michigan State responded to Auburn’s run, going on a 14-4 run of their own to put the game back within reach. Broome added four more, reaching a 17-point, 11-rebound first-half double-double and giving Auburn a 33-24 lead headed into the break.
Both teams traded buckets to start the second half, with Michigan State cutting the Auburn lead as low as five at one point. That was the closest the game would be the rest of the night. Auburn’s depth shone in the second half, especially following an elbow injury that sent Johni Broome to the locker room with 10:37 to play. Dylan Cardwell and Chaney Johnson held down the frontcourt in Broome’s absence, combining for 13 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks on the evening.
Broome would return with about five minutes to play, and he immediately knocked down a three to stretch Auburn’s lead to 12 with 4:40 left in the game. Michigan State hit four three-pointers in the last 2:31, but it was too little, too late, and the Tigers escaped with a six-point win.
Broome finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, one black, and one steal on his way to winning the South Regional Most Outstanding Player. He shot 10-13 from the floor and 2-2 from three in one of his most efficient performances of the season. The only other Tiger in double figures was Tahaad Pettiford with 10. Pettiford made the All-Region team. Chad Baker-Mazara added five assists, tied for a game high.
Michigan State’s Jaxon Kohler stepped up big-time for the Spartans, scoring 17 point and grabbing 11 rebounds. The Spartans’ offense shot just 34.4 percent from the field.
Auburn Head Coach Bruce Pearl opened his press conference saying, “I guess the first thought is there are four teams in the country that are left, and Auburn is one of them. So we couldn't be happier.”
Auburn will play Florida Saturday, a team that beat the Tigers earlier in the season. Chaney Johnson said, “It's another team in the way of us getting to the National Championship. So we've just got to continue putting our head down, continue staying humble, continue staying hungry.”
This Final Four is the second in Auburn history, both coming under Pearl. Pearl pointed to his staff as a major reason for his success, saying, “If you look at my staff, you'll notice that guys have been with me a long time.” He went on to mention Steven Pearl, Chad Prewett, Mike Burgomaster, Mike Jeffrey, and Ira Bowman, saying each one has been pivotal to Auburn’s success.
The Tigers and the Gators will tip-off the Final Four in San Antonio Saturday at 5:09 p.m. CT. Watch on CBS or listen on the Auburn Sports Network.
