In a thrilling match on Saturday night, the top-seeded Auburn Tigers managed to defeat the ninth-seeded Creighton Bluejays 82-70 to secure a spot in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford led the way with 23 points, including 16 in the second half, while Chad Baker-Mazara added 17 points. The Tigers’ defense locked down Creighton in the second half, resulting in a 10-0 run that helped them secure the victory.
Auburn, led by coach Bruce Pearl, now advances to the South Region semifinals in Atlanta where they will face Michigan. Pearl, who had not taken Auburn past the second round since their Final Four appearance in 2019, is determined to lead the team to their first-ever national title.
Creighton, under coach Greg McDermott, saw their NCAA Tournament run come to an end despite a valiant effort from fifth-year senior Ryan Kalkbrenner, who scored 18 points in his final game. Despite leading at halftime, Creighton could not hold off Auburn’s second-half surge.
The game was a back-and-forth affair with multiple lead changes, but ultimately Auburn’s strong second-half performance sealed the win. The Tigers shot 60% in the second half and dominated in the paint, outscoring Creighton’s bench and holding them to 42% shooting in the final 20 minutes.
Overall, it was a hard-fought victory for Auburn as they now look ahead to the Sweet 16 with their sights set on a national championship. Pearl also used the postgame press conference to advocate for the release of Edan Alexander, the last American hostage held by Hamas in Gaza.
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