Mood Much More Positive Following Auburn Win Over Creighton

The feeling after the win over Alabama State was things could have gone better, but this time around, the Auburn Tigers are much more satisfied with the results

Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl and company are lot happier after this win | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers had quite a different reaction when the game was finished on Saturday night. Instead of disappointment, they found themselves satisfied when the final buzzer hit. The Tigers played the nine-seed Creighton in the second round and defeated them, 82-70 in Kentucky’s Rupp Arena. After the win, the Tigers will head to Atlanta to face the five-seed Michigan Wolverines. 

“Very proud of [the] team,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said after the game. “We played like the No. 1 team in the country. We acted like the No. 1 team in the country. We prepared like the No. 1 team in the country.” 

The Tigers’ win could very well have them back on the right track as they are just four wins away from their first National Championship. 

On top of that, it was an important mental win for Auburn. The Creighton Blue Jays were no easy team to beat. The Blue Jays finished the season 25-11 with crucial wins against UConn, Marquette and St. John’s. After finishing second in the Big East, the Blue Jays lost to the Johnnies in the conference championship. 

The Tigers had players step up in this game. Tahaad Pettiford and Denver Jones both had great games. Pettiford finished the game with 23 points, six rebounds and three assists in the game while Jones had 15 points, one rebound and three assists. The two stepped up when Johni Broome’s offense seemed to be off. 

“I didn’t have a good offensive game. I shot 4-for-13, but that’s okay. I came here to win,” said Broome. “This season is about winning. I know my teammate has my back, and they know I have theirs. My shots weren’t falling, so I just had to do whatever I can do to impact winning and I let everybody else do the scoring.” 

The Tigers’ forward finished the day with just eight points. As the Tigers get further into the NCAA Tournament, they will need all players hitting on all cylinders. 

The Tigers’ next game is against the five-seed Michigan Wolverines on Friday. It will be the most difficult opponent the Tigers have faced in the tournament yet. However, if the Tigers have got their mojo back, they should be able to take care of business and go on a deep run.