Auburn basketball Creighton March Madness key stats

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Auburn’s back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019. Here’s how it happened.

Auburn basketball took out Creighton in Saturday’s second round March Madness game, 82-70, which was a refreshing sight to see for Auburn coaches and fans.

Auburn entered Saturday’s game winning just two of its last five games and failing to play with as much energy as it had for most of the season. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl challenged his team to find its spark during Friday’s practice, which paid off as Pearl told reporters that his team played like the No. 1 team in the nation on Saturday.

“We talked a little bit about game one and not giving the kind of effort and energy that was required and, you know, not really trusting one another, sharing it, and the sacrifices that need to be made. Tonight we put all that behind us and the guys did a phenomenal job on both ends of the floor,” Pearl said postgame.

Auburn freshman Tahaad Pettiford played lights out on Saturday by scoring a team-leading 23 points with six rebounds and three assists. His performance was vital to Auburn’s success, but many other factors led the Tigers to a Sweet 16 berth.

Here are five key stats that defined Auburn’s NCAA Tournament win over Creighton on Saturday.

Auburn wins the free throw battle

Auburn’s struggles at the free throw line have headlined their recent struggles. Prior to the NCAA Tournament second round game with Creighton, Auburn failed to connect on at least 70% of its free throw tries in four-straight games. Auburn hopped off the saddle Saturday by connecting on 71% of its tries, outshowing Creighton who shot 62% from the stripe.

Denver Jones was a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line while Tahaad Pettiford shot 87% (7-of-8) and Chad Baker-Mazara shot 75% (3-of-4).

Bench play is key

On paper, Auburn held a clear depth advantage over Creighton heading into the game. Auburn outscored Creighton, 31-10, in bench points on Saturday led by Tahaad Pettiford’s massive 23-point day. Chaney Johnson followed…

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Publish date : 2025-03-23 10:07:00

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