A HUGE double-double from Johni Broome led the Auburn Tigers out of the Sweet 16 and into the Elite Eight in the NCAA National Tournament with a 13-point win over the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers came into March Madness as the top seed in their conference, and loomed as one of the favourites after a dominant campaign where they won 31 out of 36 games. Although the Wolverines enjoyed a strong season themselves with 27 wins, they would need to bring their best if they were to upset one of the title fancies.

Michigan did a reasonable job keeping the game close in the first half, in a performance that was largely built on defensive restriction. The Wolverines managed to stop Auburn from breaking the game open early and it was a one-point game in favour of the Tigers at the main change. However, the top-seeded side managed to break the shackles in the second half, outscoring Michigan 48-36 in the final 20 minutes to storm home to victory.

Although the Tigers were well-held by the Wolverines, the performance of Broome was huge in the context of the match, and his impact gave Auburn a matchwinning upper hand.

Auburn Tigers (78) def. Michigan Wolverines (65)

Johni Broome – 21 points, 16 rebounds, one assist, two steals

Broome was a crucial piece for the Tigers in the gritty win over the Wolverines, working his way into the game nicely and leading from the front despite some tough defensive pressure from the opposition in the first half.

After pulling down some defensive boards to get his hands on the ball early in the piece, the forward hit the scoreboard with a catch and shoot triple to get the Tigers on the board. Getting Broome involved early was vital to Auburn, given the impact he has had on most contests throughout the 2024/25 season.

The Wolverines simply could not box him out, and it resulted in a monster game on the offensive glass from Broome, who constantly gave himself scoring opportunities with tip-ins under the basket after the opposition gave him too much time and space.

He often followed up his own shot, and it was crucial he did so at the end of the first half, where he tracked down his missed jumpshot and laid the ball back in to give Auburn a one-point lead at the change in a massive play in the context of the match.

In the second half, Broome hit the scoreboard just as much, albeit in slightly different fashion. His shots were falling the first time, and his drives to the basket off the dribble were not met with much resistance from the opposition.

He finished the game with 22 points on 9/21 shooting from the field, with many of his makes coming via second chance scoring opportunities with his timing and reach. Of his 16 rebounds, nine came on the offensive end, mostly off his own miss in an effective attack on the ball.