– In his return against Georgia, Johni Broome put on a spectacular performance, leading No. 1 Auburn to an 82-70 victory at Neville Arena. The senior forward, who missed the previous matchup against the Bulldogs, made up for lost time with a commanding second-half effort.
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl acknowledged the challenges of playing in the SEC, crediting Georgia for its game plan while praising his team’s adjustments in the second half. Broome, in particular, was instrumental, scoring 19 of his season-high 31 points after halftime. He shot a perfect 7-for-7 from the field in the second half while adding eight rebounds and four assists to his stat line.
Broome credited his teammates and coaches for putting him in the right spots and remained humble about his achievement. Pearl, however, had high praise for his star player, calling him the “Player of the Year” and highlighting his patience, calculated play, and ability to attack the rim.
With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, Auburn holds a two-game lead in the SEC standings and is on track for its fifth conference championship in the last eight years under Pearl. The coach emphasized the importance of beating Georgia, calling it a significant rivalry win.
Broome’s 17th double-double of the season puts him just one shy of Auburn’s all-time single-season record set by Mike Mitchell nearly 50 years ago. He hopes to break the record before the season ends, adding to Auburn’s motto of “making history” this year.
Other key contributors for Auburn included Denver Jones with 17 points, Miles Kelly with 11 points and eight rebounds, and Chad Baker-Mazara with 11 points. Tahaad Pettiford led the team in assists with five.
Auburn led by five at halftime after a defensive first half but caught fire in the second half, shooting nearly 60% from the field. Broome’s second three-pointer helped extend the lead to 10, but Georgia’s Asa Newell, who scored 20 points, kept the Bulldogs within striking distance with several big shots. Broome responded with a dunk, and when Georgia cut the lead to four, he found Chaney Johnson for a key layup with just over three minutes left, allowing Auburn to maintain control.
Auburn’s victory extended its winning streak against Georgia to five games and improved its all-time record against the Bulldogs to 104-97. Under Pearl, Auburn has now won 13 of the last 16 meetings in the series, including sweeping Georgia in five of the last eight seasons.
Postgame Notes:
Auburn is now 15-7 against Georgia under Pearl, with a 7-4 record in Athens and 8-3 at home.
– Pearl has a 25-10 all-time record against Georgia, dating back to his coaching stints at Milwaukee and Tennessee.
– The Tigers are now 144-40 when ranked under Pearl, with an 80-6 record at home.
– This season’s 25-2 record matches the 1998-99 team for the best 27-game start in program history. Auburn has also secured its seventh 25-win season in school history and its sixth in the last eight years.
– The Tigers’ 13-1 start in SEC play also ties the 1998-99 team for the best in school history.
– Saturday’s game marked Auburn’s 68th consecutive sellout at Neville Arena.
– Auburn scored 53 second-half points on 59.3% shooting and went 19-of-22 (86.4%) from the free-throw line.
– The Tigers committed just eight turnovers, marking the 16th time this season they’ve had single-digit turnovers.
– Auburn dominated the glass with 17 offensive rebounds and won the overall rebounding battle 40-35.
– The starting lineup featured Denver Jones, Miles Kelly, Chad Baker-Mazara, Johni Broome, and Dylan Cardwell. Baker-Mazara returned to the starting five after coming off the bench in the last three games.
– Auburn has now recorded 176 blocked shots this season, ranking sixth-most in program history. Cardwell’s three blocks on Saturday gave him 201 for his career, making him just the fourth player in Auburn history to reach 200 blocks.
– Broome’s 31-point, 14-rebound performance marked his 77th career double-double and his 17th of the season. He’s now just one double-double away from tying Auburn’s single-season record.
Looking ahead, Auburn will wrap up its three-game homestand against No. 24 Ole Miss on Wednesday night at Neville Arena. With the SEC championship in their sights, the Tigers remain focused on continuing their strong play down the stretch.
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