ATLANTA – After a first half that saw No. 1 seed Auburn commit 10 turnovers and shoot just 32% from the field, the Tigers saw themselves in a hole down nine to No. 5 seed Michigan with 12:26 left to go.
At that point, Auburn had just committed its 14th turnover – the most since its SEC opener against Missouri – and had just five made field goals in the half, all coming from the likes of Johni Broome.
The air was sucked out of State Farm Arena, and the soon to be rejuvenated Auburn faithful was quickly in a panic.
But, after struggling to settle into the game in the early goings and starting off 0-for-3 from the floor, Auburn’s prolific freshman, Tahaad Pettiford, prevailed to ignite what would be an overall 28-6 run for the Tigers in the second half.
“That was actually a broken play,” Broome said. “I messed the play up. I didn't know who was coming, but that just shows his shot making ability, and to be able to just be a dog at times and make plays. So he came off the pick-and-roll and shot it, and he made it, cut the lead to six. So I kind of messed the play up. That just shows how special he is though.”
The 6-foot-1 guard went on to be one of three Tigers to hit the 20-point mark, knocking down big shot after big shot down the stretch to solidify a 13-point Auburn victory.
“Started off a little slow, not how I wanted to start, but having guys like this just to back me up knowing that they've got my back, just an amazing feeling,” Pettiford said.
With Auburn ahead by one at the 8:52 mark, Denver Jones knocked down back-to-back threes and a layup for a personal 8-0 run, sending ‘Neville East’ into a frenzy and vault the Tigers ahead by nine.
“Honestly, I just saw one go in, and I just felt the basket get bigger. I just wanted to continue being aggressive. Coach was getting me more involved in the plays, and I was just taking more advantage of it,” Jones said.
For a stretch of 8:16 of game time, the duo accounted for 24 of the Tigers’ 28 points.
“We have players on this team that – it can be anybody on any given night,” said Auburn forward Chris Moore. “Man, you gotta really scout us, because you got at least six or seven players that can score in double figures on any given night. So we’re a dangerous team in March. Man, when you’ve got guys like that as hot as Tahaad and Denver was tonight, it's special. It's a special thing.”
Again, in March guard play matters most. With Auburn struggling to find its footing in a disjointed offensive performance through the first 25+ minutes of the game, it was the guards who found a way to get the job done.
The Tigers will return to action in the Elite Eight against No. 2 seed Michigan State on Sunday at State Farm Arena. Tipoff is set for 4:05 p.m CTS.
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Logan Fowler is a Senior from Sumiton, Alabama and is majoring in journalism. He joined the Plainsman in Spring 2024.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @loganffowler
