The No. 1-ranked Auburn Tigers (27-3) suffered a stunning 83-72 loss to SEC rival No. 22 Texas A&M (21-9) on Tuesday night, ending their dominant nine-game winning streak. This marked only the third defeat of the season for Bruce Pearl’s squad, with their previous losses coming against No. 8 Florida (Feb. 8)and then-No. 9 Duke (Dec. 4).
Auburn’s Star Struggles Under Pressure
One of the most surprising aspects of the game was the underwhelming performance of Auburn’s star player, Johni Broome**. Recognized as one of the top players in the nation alongside Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Broome was largely ineffective, scoring just eight points on 4-for-9 shooting in 32 minutes of action
Bruce Pearl’s Honest Take on the Loss
After the game, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl didn’t sugarcoat the performance. He admitted that his team was completely overpowered by Texas A&M, highlighting physicality as a major issue moving forward.
They physically manhandled us,Pearl admitted.If this team is going to continue to win, we’re going to run up against teams like Texas A&M, Florida, or Duke—teams that are big and physical. Earlier in the year, we beat Houston, we beat Iowa State… those teams were also pretty physical, but Texas A&M’s physicality obviously dominated the game tonight.
Texas A&M Sets the Tone Early and Never Looks Back
From the opening tip, Texas A&M made a statement, launching into a 12-2 run and never surrendering the lead. The Aggies’ relentless rebounding and physicality proved too much for Auburn to handle.
Coming into the matchup, Texas A&M boasted the nation’s top offensive rebounding team, and they showed exactly why. They dominated the glass, securing a staggering 24 offensive rebounds compared to Auburn’s mere 9
A Historic Night for Texas A&M
The victory was not just a critical win for Texas A&M—it was historic. According to ESPN, this marked the Aggies’ first-ever win over an AP No. 1-ranked team. To make it even sweeter, the win snapped a four-game losing streak, giving them a major boost heading into the final stretch of the season.
Does This Loss Affect Auburn’s No. 1 Seed in the NCAA Tournament
Despite the loss, Auburn is still expected to retain its No. 1 overall seed heading into March Madness.
According to CBS Sports’ David Cobb, the Tigers’ dominant résumé** should be enough to keep them at the top of the bracket
“Despite the upset loss, the outcome will not move Auburn from its place as the projected No. 1 overall seed in Jerry Palm’s NCAA Tournament Bracketology. With a 16-3 mark in Quad 1 games** and a combined 21-3 record in Quad 1 and 2 games, the Tigers, now 27-3 overall and 15-2 in conference play, have already clinched the outright SEC title and maintain a sizable edge on challengers such as Duke, Houston, and Tennessee for the No. 1 overall spot in the Big Dance.
Even if Auburn were to lose its next game against No. 7 Alabama, Palm still believes they would hold onto the No. 1 overall seed heading into Selection Sunday.
What’s Next for Auburn
With the SEC title already secured, Auburn will now look to bounce back and regain momentum as they prepare for both the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. Their next game against No. 7 Alabama will be a crucial test to prove they are still the team to beat heading into March Madness
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