No. 1 Auburn did everything they were supposed to do against No. 5 Michigan. By no means did the victory resemble dominance, but the necessary will to win and late-game execution. After trailing for a long while, Auburn got over the hump and notched a 78-65 win over the Wolverines.
Auburn has only appeared in the Elite 8 three times, and the Tigers will fight to play another day and possibly make an appearance in the Final Four.
Johni Broome led the way with a game-higher 22 points and 16 rebounds. He tallied nine offensive rebounds, playing a prominent role in the Tiger’s aggressive rebounding stunt. Auburn out-rebounded Michigan 48-33 and won the offensive rebounding battle 19-10. This was largely thanks to Auburn’s aggressive 2-3 zone defense.
Michigan’s two-center look was held in check as well. Vladislav Goldin accounted for only 10 points and 9 rebounds on 2-9 shooting. Danny Wolf led the Wolverines in scoring with 20 points on 9-18 shooting, however, Auburn forced the ball out of his hands down the stretch.
Auburn went on a massive 12-0 run just past the midway point of the second half, where the team eventually overcame the deficit and built a lead. At the core of Auburn’s run was Tahaad Pettiford, who was the spark behind everything. Pettiford finished with 20 points on 7-14 shooting while coming off the bench. Pettiford’s partner in crime was Denver Jones, who also scored 20 points while making four threes.
Michigan was trailing by only one point at the half, as the Wolverines were finding unique ways to score, outside of the paint. Turnovers plagued both teams, but Auburn was the subject of nine turnovers at the half, the most the Tigers have had all season. Both teams charted 15 turnovers total.
There was a close eye on Michigan’s Tre Donaldson, who was shut down by the aggressive Auburn defense. Donaldson played 30 minutes, scoring just 5 points and leading the team with 4 turnovers. Auburn forced Michigan to play a faster pace than normal, and that paid dividends when the Wolverines got sloppy and lost crucial possessions towards the end.
The game concluded with a 33-14 run in favor of Auburn, ultimately punching the ticket to the Elite 8. Michigan played a tight game with the Tigers for as long as they could handle. Auburn’s finish against Michigan further proved their clutch ability which was demonstrated in their wins against Creighton and Alabama State.
Auburn will face the two-seeded Michigan State Spartans on Sunday at 5:05 PM EST. Michigan State took to a 73-70 victory over No. 6 Ole Miss prior to Auburn’s win.