No Johni Broome was no problem for Auburn on Tuesday night.
Despite the absence of Broome due to an ankle injury, the No. 1 Auburn Tigers leaned on their depth to secure a commanding 88-66 win over the No. 15 Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Chaney Johnson stepped up for the Tigers, replacing Broome in the starting lineup while putting on an impressive all-around performance on Tuesday night.
“It was a great feeling. Honestly, it was a blessing,” Johnson said. “I think this is my second time starting at Neville. I remember I started the AUM game last year. This is my second time. It was an amazing feeling, man. I'm just grateful.”
Johnson shot 7-for-10 from the field, finishing with 17 points against the Bulldogs, including his eighth three-pointer of the season.
“Chaney Johnson is my hardest worker,” said Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl. “Nobody on this team would argue it. Whether it's developing his body, working on his jump shot, just doing all the different things like that, and so he handled the minutes, he didn't get in foul trouble and gives us a chance moving forward.”
Johnson also added eight rebounds and four blocks and was able to help Auburn hold Mississippi State’s Chris Matthews, who averages 8.7 points per game, to just four points on 2-for-10 shooting.
Johnson made an early impact, scoring six points within the first five minutes of the game. Midway through the first half, he knocked down his first three-pointer of the night — his eighth of the season — as part of a 13-1 Auburn run that extended the Tigers' lead to 33-18 with 5:47 left in the first half.
The Tigers’ defense played a vital role in their routing of the Bulldogs, as the Tigers recorded 10 blocked shots and held the Bulldogs to just 35% shooting from the field. Johnson was a key part of that defensive success, giving Matthews trouble down low and managing a career high four blocks.
“I thought the defensive game plan was great,” Pearl said. “But more than anything, Chaney and Dylan, their ability to stay down, be second off the floor, blocked all those shots. Just really worked hard at defending without fouling. That was the difference in the game.”
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Grace Heim is a senior from Enterprise, Alabama, majoring in Political Science. She started with The Plainsman in January of 2023.
You can follow her on X (Twitter) at @graceeheim
