Regular-season champion Auburn took the first step toward defending its Southeastern Conference Tournament title Friday, edging out eighth-seeded Ole Miss 62-57 in a tightly contested quarterfinal matchup.
Johni Broome powered the third-ranked Tigers (28-4) with a dominant performance, posting 23 points and 14 rebounds to lead his team to victory. Auburn, which had not played since last week’s overtime loss to Alabama, shook off some early rust but ultimately made the key plays down the stretch to secure the win.
The Tigers will now face No. 8 Tennessee in Saturday’s semifinals after the Volunteers defeated No. 13 Texas 83-72 in their quarterfinal matchup.
Denver Jones added 13 points for Auburn, which snapped a two-game losing streak. Despite leading 29-22 at halftime, the Tigers never built a lead larger than 10 points, as Ole Miss (21-11) fought hard to stay within striking distance.
The Rebels, who have now lost two of their last three games to top-five opponents, saw balanced scoring from Dre Davis and Sean Pedulla, who each had 12 points, while Malik Dia and Jaylen Murray contributed 10 points apiece.
With the game tied at 46 following a layup by Pedulla, Auburn responded with an 11-1 run that proved decisive. Tre Donaldson’s 3-pointer with 6:05 remaining put the Tigers ahead for good. Broome followed with five consecutive points before Jones completed a three-point play, extending Auburn’s lead to 57-47.
The Rebels made one final push, closing the gap to 60-57 in the final minute, but Auburn went back to its star big man, Broome, who knocked down a short jumper with 11.1 seconds left to seal the victory. The Tigers closed the game strong, making six of their final eight field-goal attempts.
The Rebels fell to 4-2 on neutral courts against Auburn and are now 2-2 against the Tigers in the SEC Tournament. Their quarterfinal struggles continued, dropping to 1-4 in the round, with their last trip to the semifinals coming in 2013. Despite the loss, Ole Miss remains in strong position to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.
The Tigers have now won the SEC Tournament three times, including twice under head coach Bruce Pearl (2019, 2023). Their first title came in 1985. Auburn’s three regular-season SEC championships and two tournament titles since 2018 are the most in the conference. With the win, the Tigers remain in contention for a high NCAA Tournament seeding.
Auburn now turns its focus to a semifinal showdown against Tennessee, a team it narrowly defeated 80-78 on Jan. 25 at home. Meanwhile, Ole Miss will await Selection Sunday to find out its NCAA Tournament destination.
