ATLANTA — Auburn is going to the Final Four for just the second time in school history after its 70-64 win over second-seeded Michigan State on Sunday.
Tigers’ fans again suffocated any signs of green and white, making State Farm Arena shake any chance they had. They get to plan a trip to San Antonio, where Auburn, the NCAA Tournament’s overall top seed, will face Florida in the Final Four.
“This is ‘Auburn-lanta,’” said freshman guard Dylan Cardwell, who is from Augusta, Ga, and recorded 5 points and 6 rebounds in the win. “The crowd was very important. I can’t imagine how intimidating and how difficult it is to play in this environment.”
The home-away-from-home crowd erupted when freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford sprung up from near halfcourt and hit a deep 3-pointer with 12:36 left in the first half.
“The motto in today’s game was come out and set the tone, and I think that’s something that we did early,” said senior guard Miles Kelly, who finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds. “That really set the tone for the whole game.”
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Kelly picked up two tough baskets early before stealing the ball, running the floor and connecting on a deep 3-pointer that sent Auburn fans into a frenzy with 13:34 remaining in the first half.
Denver Jones got Auburn rolling in the second half after Cardwell fit a nice pass through three defenders, which Jones slammed through the net with both hands. Michigan State rallied, but Baker-Mazara connected on a 3-pointer to keep the Tigers afloat.
“The first thought is there are four teams in the country that are left, and Auburn is one of them,” said Auburn men’s coach Bruce Pearl, who led the Tigers to the Final Four in 2019. “So we couldn’t be happier.”
The Tigers and Gators will be meeting Saturday for the second time this season. Florida defeated Auburn 90-81 in the teams’ first meeting on Feb. 8, and defeated Texas Tech to reach the Final Four.
“This year has been, just with the SEC alone, every game was a game, like, no freebies,” senior guard Chad Baker-Mazara said. “But at the same time, we are thankful for that because it prepares us for this moment.”
Andy Mathis is a student in the University of Georgia’sSports Media Certificate program.
