“Johni carries us,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “He puts us on his shoulders. He’s one of the best competitors. He hates to lose. “Denver was great in the first half and he’s always the best defensive player out there on the floor,” Pearl said. “We held them to 57 points. Defense and rebounding win championships, […]
“Johni carries us,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “He puts us on his shoulders. He’s one of the best competitors. He hates to lose. “Denver was great in the first half and he’s always the best defensive player out there on the floor,” Pearl said.
“We held them to 57 points. Defense and rebounding win championships, and that’s what carried the day. If you can get stops, you can win. It was a good team effort.”
“Denver made a good pass and a good read on the screen,” said Johnson, who added seven rebounds. “I was like, ‘I’m going to shoot it, I’m not going to second-guess anything.’ I’m going to shoot with a lot of confidence, and the confidence paid off. I’m thankful to have the teammates and coaching staff that I have. It was a great feeling.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – SEC player of the year Johni Broome led No. 3 Auburn to a 62-57 win over Ole Miss Friday in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals at Bridgestone Arena, the Tigers’ third victory over the Rebels this season.
Leading by seven after holding Ole Miss to 22 points on 26.9-percent shooting in the first half, Broome and Miles Kelly scored Auburn’s first nine points of the second half, with Johni’s alley-oop dunk giving the Tigers a 38-30 lead, one of Chad Baker-Mazara’s game-high six assists.
Advancing to Saturday’s semifinal, the top-seeded Tigers (28-4) take on Tennessee at noon CT on ESPN and the Auburn Sports Network.
Jones put the Tigers on top by six with a floater in the lane, then Pettiford’s step-back 3-pointer put Auburn ahead by nine, leading to an Ole Miss timeout with 3:11 remaining.
Broome’s last bucket, a low-post bank with 11 seconds to play, gave Auburn a five-point lead after a 6-0 Rebels run pulled Ole Miss within three.
Tying Mike Mitchell’s 50-year-old program record with his 18th double-double of the season, Broome scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer
Jones, who led the Tigers with 10 points in the half on 4-of-5 shooting, drove and scored with 6 seconds left to give Auburn a 29-22 halftime lead.
Auburn turnovers helped Ole Miss use a 7-0 run to tie the score at 46-46, but Chaney Johnson’s corner 3-pointer with 6:05 to play gave the Tigers a lead they would not relinquish.
“I wanted to come out aggressive, looking for my shot,” Jones said. “It paid off today.”
With the Tigers trailing by four, Tahaad Pettiford stole an errant pass and drove for a right-handed layup to trim the Rebels’ lead to 11-9 before the second media timeout.
Jones hit a pair of 3-pointers to help Auburn keep pace with Ole Miss before the first media timeout.
“BP talks about it all the time, keep trying to make history,” said Broome, who was 8 of 14 from the field and 7-for-10 from the free-throw line. “I play for the name on the front and the back of my jersey. Auburn means a lot to me. To cement myself into Auburn history is a blessing.”
Ole Miss got within six before Baker-Mazara’s dunk and free throw put the Tigers on top 60-51 at the 1:34 mark before the Rebels’ last-minute rally.
“I knew I was going to the basket,” said Broome, who drew seven fouls. “My teammates trusted me again, so I had to finish for them this time.”
“Our 3-point field goal percentage defense has been pretty elite,” Pearl said. “When you hold a good offensive team like Ole Miss to 22 points in the first half, you deserve victory.”
Broome and Denver Jones combined for eight points to give Auburn a 10-point lead with 3 minutes to play.
Broome tied the score at 11-11 with a bucket at the rim after a Pettiford assist, Sporting News national player of the year gave Auburn a lead with a spin move and dunk.
With Dylan Cardwell in foul trouble, Ja’Heim Hudson gave Auburn a three-point lead with an offensive rebound and putback.
