Auburn Basketball swats Alabama State in March Madness, advances to NCAA second round

Auburn Tigers guard Miles Kelly welcomed himself to March Madness with a roar.

The senior, who had missed out on the NCAA Tournament during his first three seasons with Georgia Tech, scored 12 points in the opening five minutes Thursday before finishing with 23 total in Auburn's 83-63 NCAA Tournament first round win over Alabama State at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. He scored a bulk of his points from beyond the arc, connecting on 7-of-15 opportunities.

ASU, who's campus is just a mere 55 miles from Auburn's, did not go quietly however. After Bruce Pearl's Tigers pounced out to an early 15-8 advantage, CJ Hines and the Hornets buzzed back and hung tight throughout the opening frame. By simply out-hustling and out-pacing Auburn, the 'First Four' victors cut the lead to 28-24 late in the first half.

Eight different Alabama State players had scored a basket during the first 15 minutes of action, while Auburn's offense was mostly non-existent outside of Kelly's early burst and the tough paint scoring of Chaney Johnson.

That offensive drought continued for most of the half, with the Tigers scoring just one point over a 4:41 stretch which saw Alabama State cut the lead to just 2 points. As the neutral crowd mostly came alive in favor of the underdog, the Hornets momentum, and pace, shot through the roof.

ASU guard Amaar Knox nearly stole the lead before missing a pair of shots at the charity stripe. That seemed to be the only opening Johni Broome needed, as the 'National Player of the Year' candidate led a much-needed 9-0 run over the final 73 seconds of the half to push Auburn's lead to 10 heading into the locker room.

The small cushion created by the Tigers' late first-half roar ballooned into a couch once the final frame reached the halfway point. Johni Broome, Denver Jones, and the supporting cast settled in, eventually leading the Tigers to a win.

Reaction

The doubts created by Auburn's lack of dominance down the stretch this season, and the failures of March past, crept into the brains of the Auburn family early on Thursday. Those doubts were quickly erased when Bruce Pearl's team flipped a switch to remind the nation why it earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The No. 1 seed can ill afford to start slow in the next round against Creighton, but if the Tigers play like they did over the final 21 minutes on Thursday, Auburn should have no issues advancing to its first Sweet 16 since 2019.

What's next for Auburn?

Auburn will face Creighton on Saturday at Rupp Arena in Lexington for a chance to make the Sweet 16. Creighton stunned the home-favorite Louisville Cardinals on Thursday, 89-75. Jamiya Neal led the Blue Jays with 29 points and 12 rebounds, with Steven Ashworth following suit with 22 points.

The time and network for Auburn vs. Creighton has yet to be determined.

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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn vs. Alabama State in 2025 March Madness: Tigers buzz by Hornets

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