LEXINGTON, Ky. — Top-seeded Auburn overcame a few shaky moments to secure a 83-62 victory over Alabama State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. With the win, the Tigers advance to face No. 9 seed Creighton in the second round.
With 1:48 remaining in the first half, an 18-6 run by Alabama State cut Auburn’s lead to 32-31. Johni Broome responded with a jumper, followed by a 3-pointer from Miles Kelly sparking a 9-0 Auburn run to close out the half.
“Just congratulate Alabama State on a great season, a historic season for the Hornets,” said Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl. “They represented their university in an outstanding way. They were a formidable opponent. We didn't play our best, but I think they had a lot to do with it. So I just give them a great deal of credit.”
The Tigers opened with a 12-2 run, fueled by a red-hot Miles Kelly, who started 4-for-4 from beyond-the-arc. Auburn led 12-5 at the under-16 timeout, with Kelly accounting for nine of the Tigers’ 12 points. Leading 17-8 with 13:39 to play in the first half, Auburn held the Hornets scoreless for nearly four minutes of play before Alabama State went on a 23-14 run to close in on the Tigers' lead with just over a minute to play in the half.
“My teammates did a great job of finding me, and all I had to do was knock it down. Just credit to my teammates for giving me open looks,” Kelly said.
No. 13 Miles Kelly shoots a 3-pointer against No. 16 seed Alabama State in the Round of 64 in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
The Auburn bench came alive in the second half, finishing the day with 30 points. Chaney Johnson scored 13, going 2-for-4 after halftime to record his first double-figure game since Feb. 26 against Ole Miss. Tahaad Pettiford added 16 points, bouncing back from an 0-for-3 start from deep to hit 2-of-3 from beyond the arc in the second half.
The Auburn bench came alive in the second half, finishing the day with 30 points.Chaney Johnson scored 13, going 2-for-4 after halftime to record his first double-figure game since Feb. 26 against Ole Miss. Tahaad Pettiford added 16 points, bouncing back from an 0-for-3 start from deep to hit 2-of-3 from beyond the arc in the second half.
“It's a great feeling coming off of bad shooting games just being there for my team, just doing everything I can, and just playing hard,” Johnson said. “That's all I can do, and that's all I will do. It's a great feeling. It's a blessing as well.”
Kelly led all scorers with 23 points and seven 3-pointers — the most made by an Auburn Tiger in the NCAA Tournament. Broome finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, recording his 19th double-double of the season to break Auburn’s single-season double-double record that stood for 50 years.
“Miles was terrific. Tahaad was terrific at times. Johni dominated on the inside when he had to, but trust me we can play — and we'll need to play — a lot better,” Pearl said.
Up next, Auburn faces Creighton who defeated Louisville 89-75 in front of a Lousville-dominated crowd. Tip off will be announced tonight.
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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.
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