ATLANTA — A game defining second half run pushed the top-seeded Tigers over the top and into the program’s third ever Elite Eight, defeating the No. 5 seed Michigan Wolverines 78-65 inside of a Tiger fan filled State Farm Arena.
Below are stats to know for Auburn’s Sweet 16 victory in Atlanta over Michigan.
Game Specific:
The Tigers’ 15 turnovers are the second most this season, trailing just the season-high 16 against Missouri in the SEC opener.
Both squads suffered 15 turnovers a-piece, but Auburn turned the takeaways directly into 23 points compared to Michigan’s 13.
Auburn’s 10 first half turnovers are more than the Tigers’ total amount of turnovers in 25 games.
Pearl’s squad shot 3-of-16 from deep in the first half and finished 5-for-12 in the second half – shooting 29% overall from beyond the arc.
What ultimately turned into a game defining 28-6 run, started as a 10-0 run for Auburn – its 34th such run of the year.
From the 12:26 mark, when the Tigers’ second half run began, Auburn only committed a single turnover the rest of the game.
Denver Jones recorded 20 points – his second most of the season – shooting 7-for-13 with four makes from deep.
True freshman Tahaad Pettiford has scored more than 16 points in each of the Tigers’ three NCAA Tournament games so far with 20 points tonight – 15 of which were scored in the second half of play.
The duo of Denver Jones and Tahaad Pettiford accounted for 24 of the Tigers' 28 points during its 28-6 second half run.
Auburn out rebounded Michigan by +15 and racked up a season-high 19 offensive rebounds.
In the first half, guards Miles Kelly, Chad Baker-Mazara and Tahaad Pettiford combined to shoot 4-for-18 from the field.
Auburn outscored Michigan in second chance points 21-9.
In two appearances against Auburn in the NCAA Tournament, Danny Wolf combined for 33 points. With 11 first half points, Wolf did not score in the final 13 minutes of the game as the Tigers went on its 28-6 run.
Johni Broome:
The national player of the year candidate put together a 22 point performance, shooting 9-for-21, along with 16 rebounds in 30 minutes.
Broome recorded a double-double before the half, scoring 10 points and retrieving 11 rebounds in the first 20 minutes of play.
The 6-foot-10 center now has 14 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 44 doubles-doubles at Auburn (2022-25) are tied for second-most among all SEC players in the last 25 seasons, trailing only LSU's Glen Davis with 44.
Broome recorded nine offensive rebounds, his second most of the season.
In his two games inside of State Farm Arena this season, Broome has a combined 43 points and 36 rebounds.
Tournament History:
Auburn has advanced to its third ever Elite Eight and is one win away from its second ever Final Four appearance. The Tigers now post a 3-3 record in the Sweet 16 all-time.
The Tigers are 22-13 in 14 NCAA Tournament appearances including 10-5 in six tournament trips under head coach Bruce Pearl.
Program History:
Auburn has surpassed its program record of 30 wins in a single season, set during the 2018-19 Final Four season, with its 31st victory of the 2024-25 season tonight.
Series History:
The win over the Wolverines is the first for Auburn in program history. The Tigers previously lost to Michigan in the two squads’ lone matchup prior to tonight in 1993.
Miscellaneous:
In his 23rd NCAA Tournament, Pearl is 19-13 lifetime in the NCAA Division I Tournament including 10-5 at Auburn.
Pearl now has more NCAA Tournament wins at Auburn (10) than all other stops combined (9).
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
