ATLANTA — Auburn is going to the Final Four for just the second time in school history after its 70-64 win over second-seeded Michigan State on Sunday.
Tigers’ fans again suffocated any signs of green and white, making State Farm Arena shake any chance they had. They get to plan a trip to San Antonio, where Auburn, the NCAA Tournament’s overall top seed, will face Florida in the Final Four.
“This is ‘Auburn-lanta,’” said freshman guard Dylan Cardwell, who is from Augusta, Ga, and recorded 5 points and 6 rebounds in the win. “The crowd was very important. I can’t imagine how intimidating and how difficult it is to play in this environment.”
The home-away-from-home crowd erupted when freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford sprung up from near halfcourt and hit a deep 3-pointer with 12:36 left in the first half.
“The motto in today's game was come out and set the tone, and I think that's something that we did early,” said senior guard Miles Kelly, who finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds. “That really set the tone for the whole game.”
Kelly picked up two tough baskets early before stealing the ball, running the floor and connecting on a deep 3-pointer that sent Auburn fans into a frenzy with 13:34 remaining in the first half.
Denver Jones got Auburn rolling in the second half after Cardwell fit a nice pass through three defenders, which Jones slammed through the net with both hands. Michigan State rallied, but Baker-Mazara connected on a 3-pointer to keep the Tigers afloat.
"IT WILL BE ALL CHALK ON THE RIVERWALK"
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