Auburn Basketball: How Tigers reached the 2019 Final Four

By Dakota Cox | Apr 2, 2019

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 17: Bryce Brown #2 of the Auburn Tigers and head coach Bruce Pearl celebrate after the 84-64 win against the Tennessee Volunteers during the final of the SEC Basketball Championships at Bridgestone Arena on March 17, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – MARCH 21: Chuma Okeke #5 of the Auburn Tigers shoots the ball against C.J. Bobbitt #13 of the New Mexico State Aggies during the first half in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 21, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

NCAA Tournament results for Auburn (game by game)

Thanks to the run that won Auburn the SEC Tournament, the Tigers locked their spot on the 5-line for the NCAA Tournament. The 5-line is notorious for early upsets thanks to 12-seeds, so history was not on Auburn’s side during their historic run.

New Mexico State

Auburn struggled in the first round. However, they were still the only 5-seed to actually win their game. Against the Aggies, their duo of Brown and Harper only combined for 29 points. However, McCormick’s 16 points off the bench helped carry the Tigers to a tough 78-77 win. The end of the game probably raised the blood pressure for the entire state of Alabama. On the last possession, New Mexico State passed on a game-tying layup, missed a game-winning three, missed two of three free throws to remain down, miraculously retained possession on the free throw miss, and missed a shot at the buzzer. Instant classic.

Kansas

After the struggle win, Auburn did not want to leave their fate up to chance anymore. Brown and Harper combined for 43 points, and Auburn had a convincing lead the entire game. By the time it was all said and done, the Tigers won 89-75, earning a spot in the Sweet Sixteen

North Carolina

This game was probably the most impressive for Auburn. Going up against the 1-seed, very few people gave them a chance to reach the Elite Eight. However, the team combined to make 46 percent of their threes compared to UNC’s 25, and the Tigers were able to run away with it late, winning 97-80. In this game, Auburn lost Chuma Okeke, their star rebounder, to an ACL tear.

Kentucky

This game had a lot riding on it. Auburn had to find a way to win for Chuma and earn their first Final Four bid in team history. Kentucky had to beat an SEC rival to make prove their worth for the year. With all of this pressure on the game itself, Auburn managed to stay composed. Harper and Brown were the only players to score double digits, but the Tigers persevered. It took overtime, but Auburn made the Final Four thanks to their 77-70 win.

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