Miles Kelly is no stranger to success in Rupp Arena.
The last time he played there, he went off for 30 points, including nine 3-pointers in Auburn’s 94-78 win to clinch the Southeastern Conference regular season title.
That game started with Kelly making five of his first six attempts from long range, setting the tone and giving Auburn an early cushion. Against Alabama State Thursday afternoon, Kelly started hot again, scoring 12 points in the first six minutes of the game on 4-for-4 shooting from deep.
“It’s everything I dreamed of,” Kelly told reporters following the win, the first NCAA tournament victory of his career. “My teammates did a great job of finding me, and all I had to do was knock it down.”
His early barrage was much-needed, especially given Auburn’s sluggish performance in the first half. Alabama State went on a 16-4 run at one point, and without Kelly’s big baskets early, the game could have looked different.
Not only that, but the turning point in the game also arguably came on another big shot from Kelly late in the first half.
It started with a missed free throw by Johni Broome that eventually ended in Denver Jones’ hands after Chaney Johnson knocked it away from an Alabama State player. Jones, who was on the ground, had to shovel the ball to Kelly in the corner, who confidently knocked down the shot to put Auburn up by six.
Baskets by Broome and Pettiford to close the half put Auburn up 10, and the Hornets never made it close again after that.
“It gave us the energy and the spark that we needed‚” Johnson said of Kelly’s 3-pointer at the end of the half. “That kind of started our run a little bit and it gave us the spark that we needed and kept it up throughout the entire game.”
Thursday was the third time this season Kelly has had seven or more 3s in a game and he leads the team in 3-pointers made.
“He’s just blessed by God as one of the best shooters in the country,” said Auburn center Dylan Cardwell. “I love Miles, and so it’s fun to watch him play.”
Auburn’s next game will be a Round of 32 clash with Creighton, another team that can light it up from long range. The Blue Jays shot 11-for-24 from 3 against Louisville on Thursday, leading them to a 14-point win.
Head coach Bruce Pearl said Auburn will need to play better than it did Thursday to beat Creighton, but Kelly’s shooting may be the one thing the Tigers hope will carry over.
Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m
