Auburn has advanced further in this year’s NCAA Tournament compared to last year, despite not displaying the level of energy desired by coach Bruce Pearl. Miles Kelly led the way with seven 3-pointers and 23 points, while Johni Broome contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds as the No. 1 seeded Auburn defeated 16th-seeded Alabama State 83-63 in the South Region first-round game on Thursday.
Auburn, which only played one game in last year’s tournament, bounced back from a recent slump in the SEC to secure the top overall seed among the No. 1 teams. However, Pearl expressed disappointment in his team’s performance, emphasizing the need for improved effort and energy moving forward.
Next up, Auburn will face Creighton in the second round after their victory over Louisville. Despite the win, Pearl stressed the importance of raising their level of play against Creighton in order to advance to the Sweet 16.
Alabama State put up a fight in the first half, rallying back from a double-digit deficit to narrow the gap to just one point. Although they couldn’t sustain the momentum, the Hornets showed resilience and made their presence felt in the tournament.
Both teams displayed key takeaways in the game, with Alabama State showcasing their defensive tenacity and Auburn highlighting their rebounding advantage. As they look ahead to the next round, Auburn will need to address their free-throw shooting woes to continue their tournament run.
The Tigers aim to reach the second weekend of the tournament for the first time since their Final Four appearance in 2019, setting their sights on a deeper postseason run.
