LEXINGTON, Ky. — The No. 1 overall seeded Auburn Tigers took down the No. 9 seed Creighton Bluejays 82-70 to advance to the program’s first Sweet 16 since the historic 2019 Final Four run. Take a look inside of the victorious locker room as players and head coach Bruce Pearl talk about the Tigers’ latest tournament win.
HC Bruce Pearl
Opening Statement:
“We talked a little bit about game one and not giving the kind of effort and energy that was required and, you know, not really trusting one another, sharing it, and the sacrifices that need to be made. Tonight we put all that behind us and the guys did a phenomenal job on both ends of the floor.”
On the roster’s experience:
“I think it's always an advantage when you have older guys, but my older guys haven't been here before. Creighton's been to the Sweet 16 four out of last five years. Those guys on that team have been to the Sweet 16 for three or four of the last five years. I don't have anybody on our team. One of the best performers in the second half was a freshman. So some of that experience thing, it's important, but it wasn't the factor tonight.”
PG Tahaad Pettiford
On advancing to the Sweet 16:
“It feels amazing. We all wanted to get to Atlanta. That’s like home for us. Now, we’ve just got to get back in the gym and get ready for next week.”
PG Denver Jones
On his defensive improvement:
“Honestly, that was the main reason why I came here. I came because I wanted to win and I knew the system. I knew the type of players that they were going to have here at Auburn. The way we play defense is challenging already, just coming from another school but I wanted to be one of the best two-way guards in the league, and that was one of the main things I focused on, especially this off-season.”
On playing former teammate Tre Donaldson in the Sweet 16:
“Man, shoutout Tre. I’m really excited for the matchup going against a brother. Obviously bumping heads is gonna be a challenging night but we’re going to go out there, compete and have fun.”
F/C Johni Broome
On Pettiford’s performance:
“He's a special freshman, you know? He understands the game. He's learned a lot from kind of the older guys and he knows when the time that we need him to step up. He steps up to the challenge, you know, a lot of the times for us. That's what you expect out of a guy like him.”
On his offensive performance:
“For sure, I didn't have a good offensive game. I shot 4 for 13 but that's okay. I came here to win. This season is about winning. I know my teammates got my back and they know I have theirs. My shots weren't falling, so I just had to do whatever I can to impact winning and I let everybody else do the scoring.”
G Chad Baker-Mazara
On Pettiford’s performance:
“Man, I don’t believe he is a freshman. I gotta double check that kid. He played like a man not scared of the moment. I just love the confidence he has in himself. And just to see a freshman
like that is really rare.”
On his second half injury:
“I just took a knee to the top of my hip but I’m good.”
Auburn’s second half adjustments:
“We tried to speed them up. We kinda saw them get a little fatigued in the second half and we tried to take advantage of that. And I feel like we sped them up and that helped us create a lead.”
C Dylan Cardwell
On advancing to the Sweet 16 in Atlanta:
“I am super grateful for the opportunity. Just be in Atlanta and be in Auburn’s backyard and see all the Auburn fans travel. It just shows how good we are and how close we are to making history. It’s the experience. We’re battle tested. We’ve had a great schedule to prepare us for March Madness. These guys don’t care if we are down 10 or up 10 we’re just going to keep fighting.”
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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
