(1) Auburn 62, (8) Ole Miss 57
Auburn Seized Control When … With the game tied 46-46, Auburn star Johni Broome scored four points in an 11-1 Tigers run over three minutes, giving them a 57-47 lead with 3:56 remaining. Ole Miss had fought back to tie the game on a 7-0 run where Dre Davis and Sean Pedulla scored the seven combined.
Player of the Game – Johni Broome scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, and he connected on a post move off of the left box with 11 seconds remaining to give Auburn the two-score lead at 62-57. Broome was the catalyst of what was a tough game for Auburn offensively. He was 8 of 14 from the floor and 7 of 10 from the line. Denver Jones was complementary of Broome from the backcourt with 13 points.
Key Statistics – Ole Miss needed to slow the pace in this game and it did as Auburn averages 62 shots per game but only found 51. The Tigers’ defense controlled this game although Ole Miss controlled the tempo. The Tigers shot only 35 percent in the first half as Ole Miss shot just 27 percent. The Tigers’ allowed only six Ole Miss assists and 20 Rebels makes.
They Said It – “Our three-point field goal defense has been pretty elite,” said Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl. “The fact that I’ve got bigs that can get out there and guard the perimeter, guards that can go inside, physically be able to handle some things.”
(4) Tennessee 83, (13) Texas 72 –
The Vols Seized Control when … Zakai Zeigler scored eight points in the first seven minutes of the second half as Tennessee turned a 37-33 halftime lead into a 58-45 advantage with 12:58 remaining in the first half.
Player of the Game – This can be divided into Chaz Lanier for the first half and Zakai Zeigler for period number two. Zeigler finished with 19 points after being 0-for-1 from the floor at halftime. His offensive energy helped Tennessee push it’s lead to 14 on three different occasions. Lanier sparked Tennessee as he finished the first half with 19 of his
Key Statistics – Tennessee scored on 40 of 62 possessions with 18 points off of 13 offensive rebounds. During the decisive run, the Vols held Texas to 1-of-3 from the floor with two turnovers.
They Said It – We knew it was going to be tough early,” said Tennessee coach Rick Barnes. “Jahmai Mashack was a guy that I thought defensively set a great tone for us trying to guard Tre Johnson. He’s a terrific player. That and early, Chaz got going.”
(2) Florida 95, (7) Missouri 81 –
The Gators Seized Control When … Will Richard scored eight points to spring Florida to a 10-0 lead with 18:27 remaining. Florida built that lead to 15-2 on a dunk by Rueben Chinyelu. Missouri cut into the Gators’ lead as close as 64-60 with 13:14 remaining, but Florida went on a 10-4 sprint to take a 74-64 lead on a slam by Alijah Martin from Richard with 9:02 remaiining.
Players of the Game – Walter Clayton had 18 points and six assists in 33 minutes as Will Richard and Alijah Martin scored 17 points each and Thomas Haugh posted 16. Clayton operated as the consummate floor leaders throughout the game while Richard paced Florida’s energetic start where the Gators led wire-to-wire in reaching the semifinals once again.
Key Statistics – Florida shot 62 percent from the floor and the Gators were 9-of-24 from three. Florida turned the ball over 16 times and that resulted in 22 points for Missouri. Florida scored 43 times on 71 possessions and they scored 18 points in transition and 15 off the offensive glass. Florida held Missouri to 4-of-16 from three as the Tigers normally average 9-of-24 from behind the arc.
They Said It … “Tonight we obviously made a clear emphasis to try to limit their three-point shooting, specifically 31, Grill, 35, Crews,” said Gators coach Todd Golden. “We thought if we limited their attempts that we’d be in really good shape or give ourselves the best chance to win.”
(3) Alabama 99, (6) Kentucky 70
The Tide Seized Control When ... Tied at 14, Alabama used a 9-0 run over 2:19 stretch as Labaron Philon scored six of those points as he was in transition on two of the layups. Alabama never trailed as they played with a small lead until Aiden Sherrill hit a three to give them a 47-36 lead and moved that to as many as 29.
Player of the Game – Labaron Philon allowed the Crimson Tide to be able to create a sea that was too deep for the Wildcats. Philon finished with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting as he led five players in double figures. Philon scored five of those eight baskets in transition. When Kentucky briefly cut the score to 49-42. He immediately answered with a three-pointer and a layup in transition after a Kentucky missed shot.
Key Statistics – Alabama had 80 possessions and scored on 44 of those. The Crimson TIde had 19 fastbreak points which were part of their 14 layups and five dunks. Aden Holloway had potentially his best game in an Alabama uniform, posting a (+23) when he scored 13 points and dished four assists in 21 minutes. The Tide’s post rotation of Clifford Omoruyi (8 points, 6 rebounds), Mouhamed Diabate (13 pts, 8 rebounds), and Jarin Stevenson (16 points, 4 rebounds) made Alabama a tough matchup for Kentucky in the paint.
They Said It … “Our plan was to try to keep them out of transition, keep them off the three-point line, pressure them on defense,” said Alabama head coach Nate Oats. “On offense I thought we could attack them a little bit better downhill than we had in the past.”