The Auburn Tigers continued their recent dominance over the South Carolina Gamecocks with a resounding 86-55 victory in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament on Friday. The win propelled Bruce Pearl’s squad into the semifinals, where they will face a familiar foe in the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Auburn’s balanced offensive attack was on full display, with all ten players in the main rotation contributing to the scoring effort. Johni Broome led the way with 18 points, while the Tigers’ stifling defense held South Carolina to under 30% shooting from the field, a testament to their commitment on the defensive end.
In a major upset at the SEC Tournament, the Mississippi State Bulldogs knocked off the #5 ranked Tennessee Volunteers 73-56 in the quarterfinals on Friday. The Bulldogs raced out to a huge 38-19 halftime lead and never looked back, weathering a second half Tennessee run to secure the victory.
Senior guards Cameron Matthews and Josh Hubbard led the way for Mississippi State, each scoring 18 points on an efficient shooting night.
Starkville, MS - In a battle of SEC basketball heavyweights, Mississippi State’s Dalton Knecht put on an offensive clinic, scoring 23 points, but it wasn’t quite enough as Tennessee used a furious second-half rally to take down the Bulldogs 72-68 on Thursday night.
Knecht was unconscious in the first half, knocking down six three-pointers to stake Mississippi State to a 45-28 halftime lead. The senior guard could not miss, hitting tough contested shots and finding himself wide open thanks to crisp ball movement from his teammates.
