Auburn takes down Alabama State 83-63 in opening round of NCAA Tournament

Video above: Auburn Head Coach Bruce Pearl, players discuss the winMiles Kelly made seven 3-pointers and scored 23 points, All-American Johni Broome added 14 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 1 seed Auburn beat 16th-seeded Alabama State 83-63 on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.Coach Bruce Pearl’s Tigers (29-5) lasted one game in 2024, losing to Yale days after winning the Southeastern Conference Tournament. This time, Auburn came in having lost three of four inside the power-packed SEC with a resume still strong enough to earn the top overall seed among the four No. 1 teams.Auburn will play No. 9 seed Creighton, an 89-75 winner over eighth-seeded Louisville, in the second round of the South Region on Saturday for a trip to the Sweet 16 in Atlanta. Alabama State, whose lone lead was 3-0, didn’t make it easy in the first half. The Hornets fell behind 28-15 but scored the next nine points and pulled within 32-31 on a layup by Amarr Knox, the guard whose buzzer-beater gave the Hornets their victory over Saint Francis on Tuesday in the First Four. Knox had a chance to give Alabama State the lead with 1:27 left in the half, but he missed both free throws.Broome scored the first of nine straight for the Tigers, who took a 41-31 lead into halftime. Auburn smothered Alabama State in the second half even with Broome picking up a third foul within the first four minutes.Tahaad Petitford added 16 points for Auburn and Chaney Johnson had 13.The Tigers improved to 7-0 against Alabama State (20-16) with this the first NCAA Tournament game between the schools separated by about 50 miles in south Alabama. The historically Black university still goes home with its first NCAA Tournament win in its fifth appearance.Knox led Alabama State with 18 points. TJ Madlock added 11.LIVE UPDATESFollow along with the latest updates from the game. The latest updates are at the top.SECOND HALFFINAL SCORE: 83-63 AuburnThe Tigers are running away with this one. Score: 61-82 Auburn Score at the 3-minute mark: 55-76 AuburnChris Moore’s return from his ankle injury is short-lived. he limps back off the court. Score: 51-70 AuburnThe Hornets finally end a 2-minute scoring drought. Score: 49-70 AuburnScore at the 7-minute mark: 47-68 AuburnASU calls a timeout as the Tigers’ lead grows to 20. The Tigers have outscored the Hornets 17-7 in the second half. Score: 38-58 AuburnDylan Cardwell leaves the court with an apparent knee injury. Score: 38-56 AuburnScore at the 16-minute mark: 36-50 AuburnThe Hornets are first on the board to start the second half. Score: 33-41 AuburnFIRST HALFFIRST HALF SCORE: 41-31 The Tigers tear away with a rapid, 5-point swing. Score at the 1-minute mark: 37-31 AuburnScore at the 2-minute mark: 31-32 AuburnThe Hornets are down by just 3 going into a commercial break. Score: 26-29 AuburnDylan Cardwell interrupts the Hornets’ 9-0 scoring run with a free throw. Score: 24-29 AuburnASU begins to shrink the score gap with a 7-point run. Score at the 6-minute mark: 22-28 AuburnThe Tigers pull farther ahead of ASU. Score at the 9-minute mark: 13-24 AuburnChris Moore’s injury is a sprained ankle. He returns to the sideline with a smile on his face.The Hornets continue to hold Auburn just single digits. Score at the 10-minute mark: 13-22 AuburnScore at the 12-minute mark: 8-18 AuburnAuburn’s Chris Moore is heading to the locker room with an injury.Score at the 13-minute mark: 8-17 AuburnShawn Fulcher rains in 3 over Johni Broome. 8-12 AuburnScore going into first commercial break: 5-12 AuburnAlabama State is first on the board with 3 but the Tigers quickly tie it up.The tipoff goes to the Tigers who immediately turn the ball over to start the game.BEFORE THE GAME This article contains information from the Associated press. Stay updated on the latest sports stories with the WVTM 13 app. You can download it here.

Video above: Auburn Head Coach Bruce Pearl, players discuss the win

Miles Kelly made seven 3-pointers and scored 23 points, All-American Johni Broome added 14 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 1 seed Auburn beat 16th-seeded Alabama State 83-63 on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Coach Bruce Pearl’s Tigers (29-5) lasted one game in 2024, losing to Yale days after winning the Southeastern Conference Tournament. This time, Auburn came in having lost three of four inside the power-packed SEC with a resume still strong enough to earn the top overall seed among the four No. 1 teams.

Auburn will play No. 9 seed Creighton, an 89-75 winner over eighth-seeded Louisville, in the second round of the South Region on Saturday for a trip to the Sweet 16 in Atlanta.

Alabama State, whose lone lead was 3-0, didn’t make it easy in the first half. The Hornets fell behind 28-15 but scored the next nine points and pulled within 32-31 on a layup by Amarr Knox, the guard whose buzzer-beater gave the Hornets their victory over Saint Francis on Tuesday in the First Four. Knox had a chance to give Alabama State the lead with 1:27 left in the half, but he missed both free throws.

Broome scored the first of nine straight for the Tigers, who took a 41-31 lead into halftime. Auburn smothered Alabama State in the second half even with Broome picking up a third foul within the first four minutes.

Tahaad Petitford added 16 points for Auburn and Chaney Johnson had 13.

The Tigers improved to 7-0 against Alabama State (20-16) with this the first NCAA Tournament game between the schools separated by about 50 miles in south Alabama. The historically Black university still goes home with its first NCAA Tournament win in its fifth appearance.

Knox led Alabama State with 18 points. TJ Madlock added 11.

Follow along with the latest updates from the game. The latest updates are at the top.