The No. 1 overall seed Auburn Tigers(29-5) will take on No. 9 seed Creighton Bluejays(25-10) in an East Region matchup in the 2nd Round 2025 NCAA Tournament. This game will take place in the historic Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky Saturday evening.
Auburn advanced following an 83-63 win over Alabama State. Creighton upset No. 8 seed Louisville 89-75 to keep dancing for at least one more round. Auburn last played Creighton in the 2000 NCAA Tournament defeating them 72-69. They will hope to walk away with another victory 25 years later. Who wins and clinches a berth in the Sweet Sixteen?
Auburn Starts NCAA Tournament Well
Even though they were named the No. 1 overall seed, the Tigers limped into the NCAA Tournament. They came in 1-3 over their last four games. The Tigers did not shoot the ball well but scored 83 points in the opening round. That is a testament to their depth which helped them be one of the best teams this year. The team shot 45% from the field and 31.1% from three-point range.
Wooden Award finalist Johni Broome had a quiet 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting. He added 11 boards. Broome will need to be more of a force scoring the ball for the Auburn Tigers to reach their full potential. The team’s defense was also tremendous. They held Alabama State to 37.1% shooting from the floor and 24% shooting from downtown. A versatile offense and tough defense will make the Tigers a formidable opponent.
Creighton Puts Together An Offensive Show
The Bluejays had a great offensive game on Thursday against Louisville. They scored 89 points on 57.1% shooting from the field and 45.8% from three-point range. Creighton’s defense also had a great performance holding the Cardinals to 42.9% shooting from the field and 27.6% from deep.
Guard Jamiya Neal scored a career-high 29 points to help propel Creighton to victory. Guard Steven Ashworth added 22 points while playing all 40 minutes. The team’s best player Ryan Kalkbrenner must be more assertive against Auburn. He scored 14 points on 8 shots.
Final Thoughts
It is going to be difficult for the Bluejays to win this game. Auburn will slow down Creighton’s offense and shoot the ball better than they did in the opening round. Broome will also be more effective in this matchup. The Tigers have championship aspirations. They will not be sent home by the Creighton Bluejays on Saturday.
