Sixteen lead changes proved not enough to keep Auburn from the Sweet 16.
The top seeded Tigers defeated No. 9 seed Creighton on Saturday evening 82-70 after trailing 37-35 at halftime. Auburn surrendered nine 3-pointers in the first half as Creighton shot a blistering 64.3% from beyond-the-arc, with Steven Ashworth and Jackson McAndrew combining for eight of them to fuel the Bluejays' early surge.
“We haven't been past the first weekend since 2019, when we got to the Final Four. Being the number 1 overall seed it would have been disappointing if we didn't do it again,” said Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl. “We knew Creighton was going to be as good as anybody we would see on the road to the Final Four. I feel that way. Hopefully this is something we can build on.”
The first half featured 13 lead changes as Auburn and Creighton traded buckets, with neither team able to build more than a four-point advantage. McAndrew drained a 3-pointer with 28 seconds left in the first half to give the Bluejays a 37-35 lead entering the locker room.
Denver Jones knocked down a 3-pointer to open the second half, giving Auburn a one-point edge over Creighton. The Bluejays kept it tight, briefly pulling ahead by two at the 14-minute mark, but Chad Baker-Mazara answered with a jumper to tie the game and spark a 20-4 run that swung momentum in the Tigers' favor.
Auburn would not trail again.
Baker-Mazara scored eight of Auburn’s first 10 points to start the second half and finished with 12 in the period, capping off a 17-point performance against Creighton despite injuring his hip in the second half.
“Chad was being guarded by a freshman, Jackson McAndrew, who had a great, great offensive game but Chad had the advantage,” Pearl said. “We were able to get him in a ball screen action where he was able to turn corners and get downhill and score the basketball.”
Tahaad Pettiford also came alive in the second half, putting up 16 points to cap off a 23-point outing on 7-for-14 shooting that included two triples. Denver Jones finished with 15 points, going a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond-the-arc and converting a clutch and-1 layup that extended Auburn’s lead to 77-68 with just over a minute remaining, sealing the win.
Johni Broome and Chaney Johnson each finished with eight points, adding 12 and eight rebounds, respectively. Dylan Cardwell added six points and four rebounds on 3-for-3 shooting, and Miles Kelly finished with five.
Auburn clamped down defensively in the second half, holding Creighton to just three 3-pointers and 42.3% shooting while outscoring the Bluejays 47-33. The Tigers shot an efficient 60% from the field and went 4-for-8 from beyond the arc after the break.
“Very proud of my team,” Pearl said. “We played Auburn basketball. We played like the number 1 team in the country. We acted like the number 1 team in the country. We prepared like the number 1 team in the country.”
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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.
You can follow her on X (Twitter) at @graceeheim
