The Auburn Tigers have not made a run past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2019. While each iteration of Bruce Pearl’s Tigers have been plagued by a specific set of issues resulting in those early exists, one overarching trope has trumped them all. At the end of the day, guard play is what leads to victories in the month of March.
For the first four months of the 2024-2025 campaign, Auburn’s guard play was among the best in the nation. Over the last four games, it has been below-average. Tahaad Pettiford, Miles Kelly, Denver Jones, and Chad Baker-Mazara combined for just 10 field goals on Saturday, a mark that was 2 ticks lower than the amount of fouls the quartet commited.
Tennessee’s All-SEC backcourt of Zakai Ziegler, Jordan Gainey, and Chaz Lanier combined for 47 points, marking the key differance in what turned into a 5-point Volunteer victory.
Tennessee got on the board first with a contested three from guard Chaz Lanier before Denver Jones got the Tigers started with a deep long ball of his own. From there, the scoring skyrocketed, with both ‘Final Four’ hopefuls trading buckets throughout the opening minutes of the game.
All-SEC guard Zakai Ziegler took over much of the offensive production for his Volunteers, while Chad Baker-Mazara, Johni Broome, and Miles Kelly led an inside-out attack for Bruce Pearl’s Tigers. The scorching nature of the scoring continued, with 4-seed Tennessee jumping out to an early lead.
Ziegler and company, who are playing for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, knocked down 6 of their first 8 field goals, leading to an early 15-14 advantage seven minutes into the first frame. That lead ballooned as Auburn began struggling offensively towards the end of the half.
While Tennessee, which is not known for its offensive prowess, continued to pick apart Auburn’s defense, the Tigers were forced to grind for buckets against a stout Rick Barnes-led front. Johni Broome kept his top-seeded squad within striking distance, but the slashing of Zakai Ziegler on the other end erased most of the tough-earned points from Auburn’s star.
Auburn’s defense finally started to smother Tennessee’s scorching stretch of scoring in the final minutes of the opening stanza, leading to a late 29-26 advantage with three minutes remaining in the half. The Volunteers defense stiffened even more after losing the lead, resulting in a once high-scoring half to finish in a 33-32 Tigers edge.
Johni Broome led all scorers in the opening 20 minutes with 12 points, while the Tennessee backcourt of Ziegler and Lanier combined for 21 of the Volunteers 32 points.
Ziegler re-took the game-high in scoring shortly into the second half after finishing a pair of masterful layups to give his team the lead. The second layup, which was a floater over the outstretched arm of Johni Broome, may have been the best shot of the game by either team.
Broome seemed to take it personally, as Auburn’s best player immediately went to work on the offensive end, sending the Tigers on an 8-2 run with the help of Denver Jones and a nice offensive put-back from Dylan Cardwell. The Volunteers quickly answered, earning 4 points at the free throw line to cut Auburn’s lead to a single point.
The Volunteers would take the lead a few possessions later, notably without Zakai Ziegler, who was dealing with foul trouble for most of the second half, on the floor. Miles Kelly would end the 9-2 Tennessee run with a 3-point shot from the line at ‘Tootsies’ on Broadway, giving Auburn a much-needed led with 13 minutes to go.
The lead didn’t last long, with Tennessee again taking the lead back with free throws. Auburn’s inability to defend without fouling would be the Tigers biggest Achilles heel down the stretch, as every tough shot made on the offense end was seemingly negated by a pair of Volunteers free throws on the other end.
The free points gave Tennessee a boost of confidence, allowing the No. 4 seed to open up a 55-48 lead with eight minutes remaining. That lead, which was the largest of the game by either team, proved to be insurmountable.
With Tahaad Pettiford (final points) and Auburn’s guards struggling to find ways to score, the Volunteers took firm control the Saturday’s semi final down the stretch, opening up a 12-point lead before the Tigers provided one final roar with a 10-0 run over the waining minutes.
Unfortunately Auburn’s late gasp proved too little too late, as Tennessee held on to earn a 70-65 win. An Auburn team that once looked like clearly the best in the country as now lost three of its last four contests. Bruce Pearl’s Tigers will get some much needed rest before opening the NCAA Tournament next Thursday or Friday.
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