Auburn Makes It Into the Final Four with 70-64 Win Over Michigan

Summary:

• The Auburn Tigers secured their spot into the Final Four following a 70-64 defeat against Michigan State on Sunday.
• The victory came amid Johni Broome’s injury scare during the game.
• Auburn now joins Duke, Florida, and Houston in a loaded Final Four.

Hugh Freeze’s Auburn Tigers did a good job at clinching their first regular season ranking, dominating their opponents for the most part.

However, the rough stretch they experienced late in the year began to make some doubt their potential to win the NCAA March Madness championship.

On Sunday, they put those doubts to rest when they made it into the Final Four with a hard-fought 70-64 victory over Michigan State in the South Region final.

The Injury Scare

The Tigers had to overcome a major scare when star player Johni Broome appeared to suffer a serious injury.

Midway through the second half, Broome crashed to the floor and seemed to hyperextend his right elbow.

While walking off the court and toward the lockers, the player seemed to say, “I’m done“. Nonetheless, just a few minutes later, he came back and quickly sank a crucial three-pointer.

From that point on, Auburn never relinquished control. The extent of Broome’s injury wasn’t immediately clear, even though he was seen visibly favoring his right arm for the remainder of the game.

However, according to a late CBS report, X-rays showed that the 22-year-old was in the clear.

Always Prepared With an Answer

From the opening tip, Broome was locked in. He scored Auburn’s first six points and then spearheaded a dominant 17-0 run that put Michigan State in a deep hole early.

By halftime, Auburn led 33-24, with Broome already posting 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Michigan State kept fighting, but Auburn always had an answer. Even after Broome’s injury scare, he returned to hit a key three-pointer, extending Auburn’s lead to 60-48 with just over five minutes left.

Though Michigan State hit a few late threes to apply pressure, they never seriously threatened a comeback.

Broome finished with a dominant stat line: 25 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block while shooting 10-of-13 from the field and 2-of-2 from beyond the arc.

He was the clear standout in a game that might have been remembered for his injury scare rather than his stellar performance.
Tahaad Pettiford also contributed 10 points. In total, Auburn had 42.6% shots from the field.

Elite Talent in the Final Four

The Tigers’ victory completes a Final Four that will feature all four No. 1 seeds, with Duke, Florida, and Houston joining Auburn. While the lineup is filled with elite talent, provided Broome remains in good health, the Tigers should be considered a legitimate threat.

Their recent struggles, which counted three losses in their final four regular-season games, raised a series of questions regarding their ability to make a deep run.

However, those losses came against ranked SEC opponents Texas A&M, Alabama, and Tennessee.

Once the tournament kick-started, the Tigers silenced the critics with three consecutive double-digit wins before handling second-seeded Michigan State.

While Michigan’s season is over, Auburn is getting ready to face SEC rival Florida in the national semifinals which US sports bettor can bet on.