In Nashville, Tennessee, Johni Broome put up 23 points and secured 14 rebounds to help top-seeded Auburn kick off their Southeastern Conference Tournament campaign with a 62-57 victory over eighth-seeded Mississippi on Friday. The Tigers, ranked third in the nation with a 28-4 record, will face either No. 13 seed Texas or eighth-ranked Tennessee in the semifinals on Saturday. Denver Jones chipped in with 13 points as Auburn ended a two-game losing streak.
Ole Miss (21-11) has dropped two of its last three games against top-five teams. Dre Davis and Sean Pedulla each contributed 12 points, while Malik Dia and Jaylen Murray added 10 each. Despite a halftime lead of 29-22, Auburn struggled to pull away by more than 10 points due to some rust following their recent loss to Alabama in overtime.
Key Highlights:
– Ole Miss now holds a 4-2 record against Auburn on neutral ground and a 2-2 record in this tournament. They are 1-4 in quarterfinal games and last reached the semifinals in 2013.
– Auburn, led by coach Bruce Pearl, has clinched the SEC Tournament title three times, with victories in 2019, 1985, and another under Pearl. They have also claimed three regular-season titles and have been the most successful men’s team in the SEC since 2018.
Key Moment:
After being tied at 46, Auburn went on an 11-1 run following a layup by Pedulla. A crucial 3-pointer by Johnson gave the Tigers the lead with 6:05 remaining. Broome and Jones contributed key plays as Auburn extended their lead to 57-47.
Key Stat:
With a narrow 60-57 lead and time running out, Auburn turned to Broome for a decisive short jumper with just 11.1 seconds left, sealing the victory as the Tigers converted six of their final eight attempts.
Next Steps:
Auburn previously defeated Texas during the regular season and narrowly edged out Tennessee on January 25. Ole Miss will now await their seeding and destination in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
