Broome's double-double leads No. 1 Auburn over Arkansas

AUBURN, Ala. – Johni Broome logged a double-double and No. 1 Auburn ended the game on a 10-2 run to defeat Arkansas 67-60 Wednesday at Neville Arena.

“Our offense left a lot to be desired, but our guys competed. They did not let the fact that we weren’t making shots and playing well offensively affect their defense,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “Holding Arkansas to 60 points is significant. Our guys stepped up and make plays.”

Recording his 16th double-double of the season, Broome led Auburn with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Chad Baker-Mazara scored 15 points and Chaney Johnson added 14. 

Miles Kelly made four of Auburn’s seven steals and grabbed eight rebounds, helping the Tigers outrebound Arkansas 42-29.

Leading by six at the half, Denver Jones hit a left-handed jumper and Pearl turned to the fans, raising his arms to ask for more noise. 

Arkansas tied the score at 37-37 after an 8-0 run, but Johnson’s jump shot regained the lead for Auburn, then Broome scored the Tigers’ next six points. 

Johnson took over down the stretch, scoring Auburn’s next 10 points, but the Razorbacks hit several contested shots and took a 58-57 lead after a steal and layup with 3:05 to play.

“Stay confident and keep playing hard,” Johnson said. “I was able to make some buckets.”

“Chaney has been so consistent,” Pearl said. “What you see is what you get.”

Baker-Mazara put the Tigers back in front with a baseline drive, then after an Auburn stop, Broome’s putback gave the Tigers a three-point lead with 1:53 remaining. 

“We’ve got a lot of weapons on our team,” Baker-Mazara said. “When one is not working, we can go down the list and see which one might work. If the 3-balls don’t fall, we’ve got guys down in the paint.”

Arkansas missed a 3-pointer and Baker-Mazara hit a pair of free throws to put the Tigers ahead 63-58. 

After the Razorbacks hit a pair of free throws with a minute remaining, Baker-Mazara and Jones each made two free throws in the closing seconds to secure Auburn’s seven-point win.

“That’s what makes them the No. 1 team in the country,” Arkansas coach John Calipari said. “They made the plays and they made their free throws.”

Broome led the Tigers in the first half with eight points and seven rebounds. The starters played 8 minutes and 12 seconds before the first whistle, a foul on Arkansas with the Razorbacks leading 15-14. 

With Auburn trailing by four, Tahaad Pettiford hit a 3-pointer to start an 11-0 run. The freshman found Broome on back-to-back possessions for points in the paint that gave Auburn the lead and led to some of the game’s loudest cheers. 

Baker-Mazara and Broome ended the run by each making a pair of free throws to give Auburn a seven-point lead. 

Baker-Mazara scored five points in the final minute of the half on a baseline fadeaway jumper and a 3-pointer with 8 seconds remaining, helping Auburn take a 33-27 halftime lead. 

Seeking a season series sweep, Auburn (24-2, 12-1) hosts Georgia Saturday at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN and the Auburn Sports Network.

“It’s an unforgiving league,” Pearl said. 

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer

POSTGAME NOTES

• With the win, Auburn has now won three of the last four against Arkansas. The Tigers lead 16-13 in games played in Auburn and have won four of the last five at Neville Arena in the series. The Razorbacks lead the series 38-23 overall.
• Bruce Pearl is 12-10 in his head coaching career against Arkansas including 7-7 coaching Auburn. The Tigers hold a 4-3 advantage at Neville Arena under Coach Pearl. 
• Auburn matched the 2021-22 Tigers with its 24-2 start for the second-best 26-game start in program history, just one game behind Auburn’s 25-1 start during the 1998-99 season. The Tigers’ 24 wins are tied for seventh-most in program history. Of Auburn’s nine seasons with at least 24 victories all-time, six have come in the last eight seasons. The 24 wins are tied for the fifth-most regular season victories in school history.
• Auburn has matched the 1999 and 2022 Tigers for the best 13-game SEC start in school history at 12-1. The 12 SEC victories are tied for sixth-most in program history. Of the 13 seasons with at least 12 SEC wins, five have come in the last eight seasons.
• Ranked Auburn teams have won 16-straight home games against unranked teams.
• The Tigers saw its 67th-consecutive sellout at Neville Arena (9,121).
• Auburn went with the starting five of Denver Jones, Miles Kelly, Chris Moore, Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell for the third-straight game. Jones and Cardwell have started all 26 games this season.
• AU placed three players in double figures led by the 76th career double-double for Broome with 16 points and 13 rebounds to go with three assists against the Razorbacks. It was his 16th double-double of the season including seven in 11 SEC games. Broome’s seven field goals give him 1,000 for his collegiate career.
• Chad Baker-Mazara added 15 points and three rebounds. It was Baker-Mazara’s 51st career game in double figures including 19 this season. He reached the 1,000-point mark for his career as he finished the night with 1,014 points.
• Chaney Johnson scored in double figures for the fifth-straight game for the first time in an Auburn uniform as he finished with 14 points, six rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block. He previously did so in his three-year career prior at NCAA Division II UAH.
• Miles Kelly registered a career high four steals. He previously recorded three steals six times.