After a rough offensive half for both the Tigers and Bulldogs, national player of the year candidate Johni Broome propelled No. 1 Auburn to a 82-70 win over Georgia on Saturday, clinching a series sweep over the neighboring state rival.
Auburn has now won 13 of the last 16 contests in the Georgia series including five straight and have completed their fifth series sweep in the last eight seasons over the Bulldogs.
“Beating Georgia matters to Auburn, it matters to me,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. “I believe that is 13 out of the last 16. That’s a pretty good stretch against one of your rivals.”
Broome shot just 4-for-11 from the field in the first half of play which mirrored the rest of the team’s performance as Auburn knocked down just 11 shots in the first half, turning in its third fewest points of the season in the first half with 29.
But as Broome went the Tigers did as well. The 6-foot-10 senior shot a perfect 7-for-7 from the field in the second half to total a new Auburn career high of 31 points – marking just the fourth time Broome has recorded 30-or-more points in a game.
Dylan Cardwell (#44) interacts with the crowd during the basketball game against Georgia in Neville Arena on February 22nd, 2024.
“That’s why he’s player of the year. Unbelievable poise. He plays at a great pace offensively and the fact that he’s patient, calculating and the fact that he attacked the rim like he did in this game so much,” Pearl said. “I mean, that was the biggest difference at the end of the day. We had No. 4 and they didn’t. And No. 4 played pretty good tonight.”
Broome's 31 points snaps a five game streak without hitting the 20-or-more points mark – his longest stretch of the season without 20 points.
“My teammates got me looks. My coaches got me in the right spots. And then, God just let the ball go through the basket. You know, nothing crazy. I just am starting to get back to my normal self again,” Broome said.
Along with 14 rebounds, the Plant City, FL native’s 41 doubles-doubles at Auburn (2022-25) are tied for third-most among all SEC players in the last 25 seasons, trailing only Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe with 48 and LSU's Glen Davis with 44.
“He prepares like a pro,” Pearl said. “He's got Broome tattooed on the back of his shoulders, and he's got Auburn right here in front, and he represents both really well.”
While 46% of Auburn’s points against Georgia came from in the paint, the Tigers’ guards, who just a week ago hit 12 shots from deep against then No. 2 Alabama, have helped record Auburn’s second and third worst performances from beyond the arc this season, knocking down only four against Arkansas and six today against Georgia.
“They played a little 3-2 zone, 1-2-2 zone. Hadn’t played it hardly all year,” Pearl said. “I told Coach White I thought that was a great call because it caught us off guard and we managed to find a few things that we could do that was good to score 80 points.”
Denver Jones (#2) and Chad Baker-Mazara (#10) celebrate a basket during the game against Georgia in Neville Arena on February 22nd, 2025.
The Bulldogs also had a rough first half starting 1-for-10 from the field and ultimately only knocking down eight shots prior to the half. But despite the struggle initially, the Bulldogs were able to cut Auburn’s lead to just five points with under three minutes to play in the game.
“We're clearly getting everyone's best shot. We are. That's great because to the victor go the spoils. A victory over Auburn, with our math, could really get somebody off the bubble and into the tournament,” Pearl said.
The Tigers knocked down 19-of-22 attempts from the charity stripe in the second half and sealed the deal to get one step closer to the SEC regular season title and gain a 13th conference win – tying the 1985-86, 2017-18 and 2023-24 seasons as the third most conference wins in a single season.
“It’s just about survival, right? That’s what it’s about,” Pearl said.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Patrick is a junior from Auburn, Alabama, double majoring in journalism and marketing. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2022.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @patrickabingham
