‘I knew it was good’: Inside final seconds of Auburn basketball’s win over No. 6 Tennessee

[ad_1]

AUBURN — The deflation was palpable. A sold-out Neville Arena, on the heels of an appearance from ESPN’s “College GameDay” that morning, was raucous as ever to start Auburn basketball’s matchup with No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday.

But, much like what transpired on the court, those in the stands exuded the same exhaustion as those playing in a low-scoring, defense-effort between two of the SEC’s best. In the final three-plus minutes, as the Tigers trailed Tennessee by only a handful of points, everything and everyone in the arena’s confines seemed worn out. Auburn’s first SEC loss seemed imminent.

But it’s amazing what 30 seconds can do.

HOW IT HAPPENED: No. 1 Auburn basketball survives defensive battle with No. 6 Tennessee

In the game’s final 1:46, Auburn closed a four-point deficit, scoring the final six points, and securing a 53-51 victory for its seventh win over a ranked opponent this season, and its fourth one-possession triumph.

“We’ve won some close games now, and so I think we can learn something from them,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said after the victory. “I know we can play better. I give Tennessee all the credit for how poorly we played at times. But the good thing is our guys are all feeling good knowing that we can play better, and we still were able to beat a great team.”

To beat the Volunteers took more of the same, namely some vital defensive stops, and it also needed some game-changing sparks on the offensive end.

Here’s a look at how it happened.

How Auburn basketball got its go-ahead score

Auburn Tigers guard Miles Kelly (13) and center Dylan Cardwell (44) celebrate victory as Auburn Tigers take on Tennessee Volunteers at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. Auburn Tigers defeated Tennessee Volunteers 53-51.

With 30 seconds to go, and trailing by two points, Auburn got the ball in the hands of its best player.

Johni Broome, who returned from an injury-sidelined two-game absence, guided the Tigers with a game-high 16 points. But his final…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/knew-good-inside-final-seconds-140233805.html

Author : The Montgomery Advertiser

Publish date : 2025-01-26 14:02:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.