Auburn Defeats Ole Miss to Advance in SEC Tournament

Auburn basketball triumphed over Ole Miss with a narrow 62-57 win in their third meeting, advancing to the quarterfinals of the 2025 SEC basketball tournament. The victory secures Auburn’s spot in the semifinals where they’ll face either Tennessee (seeded fourth) or Texas (seeded thirteenth) on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Denver Jones Steers Auburn in First Half

Auburn’s guard, Denver Jones, came out strong with back-to-back 3-pointers, scoring the Tigers’ first six points against the Rebels. Although Auburn struggled from long range, hitting only 25 percent of their three-point attempts initially, Jones and Tahaad Pettiford were the only successful shooters early on. Jones wrapped up the first half with an impressive 10 points, missing only one shot. Johni Broome contributed nine points, allowing the Tigers to establish a seven-point lead by halftime. Despite an early setback trailing 11-6, Auburn rallied with a 16-5 scoring surge, seizing their first lead of the game. Ole Miss, on the other hand, shot 27 percent but led in second-chance points during the first half.

Auburn’s Defense Overpowers Ole Miss

While Ole Miss proved challenging for Auburn’s offense initially, their lack of scoring placed them at a disadvantage. Rebels’ guard, Sean Pedulla, remained scoreless until the latter minutes of the first half, eventually securing 12 points alongside Dre Davis, who also scored 12. Both sides found long-range shooting difficult, with Ole Miss at 17 percent and Auburn at 29 percent from beyond the arc. Auburn took the lead in blocks, adding three, with two coming from contesting deep shots. The Tigers capitalized on 10 turnovers by the Rebels, converting these into six points. Auburn’s pivotal first-half surge saw Ole Miss concede the ball three times.

Auburn Dominates the Paint to Reach Semifinals

The afternoon was marked by Broome’s standout performance, scoring 23 points and securing 14 rebounds, which matches former Tiger Mike Mitchell’s record of 18 double-doubles in a season. Broome led Auburn’s frontcourt dominance, which posted a 37-28 edge in total rebounds and limited Ole Miss to just 26 points in the paint. Miles Kelly, scoreless in the first half, found his rhythm late in the game, adding nine points. Despite being replaced by Chris Moore in the starting lineup, Chad Baker-Mazara and Pettiford collectively tallied 12 points off the bench. Jones finished as the team’s second top scorer with 13 points, while Chaney Johnson and Jaheim Hudson combined for five points to solidify Auburn’s inside game. The Tigers will return for the semifinal round on Saturday afternoon.