ATLANTA — Led by national player of the year candidate Johni Broome, No. 1 seed Auburn cliched its second-ever berth to the Final Four, defeating No. 2 seed Michigan State 70-64 inside of a Tiger-fan filled State Farm Arena.
Below are stats to know from Auburn’s latest historic tournament victory, as the Tigers advance to the Final Four.
Game Specific:
The Tigers went on a 17-0 run in the first half to create a 15-point lead early on Michigan State – Auburn’s 35th time going on a 10-0-or-more run.
34 of Auburn’s 70 total points came from inside the paint against the Spartans. Michigan State had 30 such points.
Auburn only knocked down seven of its 25 3-point attempts compared to Michigan State’s seven made shots from deep.
The Tigers recorded 16 assists compared to six turnovers on Sunday night – a massive improvement from an almost season-high 16 turnovers against Michigan in the Sweet 16.
True freshman point guard Tahaad Pettiford has scored 10-or-more points in all four of the Tigers NCAA Tournament games, recording X points against Michigan State.
Johni Broome:
The national player of the year candidate put together a 25 point performance, 17 of which came in the first half, shot 10-for-13 and recorded 14 rebounds in 29 minutes of play.
It’s his 19th game this season scoring 20-or-more points.
Broome recorded a double-double before the half for the second straight game, scoring 17 points and retrieving 11 rebounds in the first 18 minutes of play.
The 6-foot-10 center now has 15 games of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds this season.
The senior center is second among active D-I players with 80 career double-doubles and fifth with 20 double-doubles this season.
His 45 doubles-doubles at Auburn (2022-25) are the most among all SEC players in the last 25 seasons.
In his three games inside of State Farm Arena this season, Broome has a combined 68 points and 50 rebounds.
Program History:
Auburn advances to its second Final Four in program history, joining the 2018-19 season.
The Tigers are now 2-1 all-time in the Elite Eight.
Pearl’s 2024-25 squad continues to reset the program’s most wins in a single-season, now at 32 following tonight’s victory.
The Tigers are the fifth SEC team, joining Kentucky, LSU, Arkansas and Florida, to play in multiple Final Fours.
Auburn has now won its first four NCAA Tournament games by double digits for the first time in program history.
The Tigers are 23-13 in 14 NCAA Tournament appearances including 11-5 in six tournament trips under Pearl.
Series History:
The Tigers picked up the program’s first ever win over Michigan State on Sunday. Auburn had only met with the Spartans once before, falling 92-79 in 1989.
Miscellaneous:
Now set to make his second trip to a Final Four, Pearl is 19-13 lifetime in the NCAA Tournament including 9-5 at Auburn.
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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
