Freshman Tahaad Pettiford and senior Denver Jones turned in dazzling performances when it mattered most, rallying top-seeded Auburn to a 78-65 victory over Michigan in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.
The Tigers (31-5) wiped out a nine-point deficit in the second half, outscoring No. 5 seed Michigan 39-17 over the final 12 and a half minutes to advance to the Elite Eight for only the third time in school history. They also became the fourth Southeastern Conference team to reach a regional final, with the SEC joining the Atlantic Coast Conference (2016) and Big East (2009) as the only leagues to do that.
Auburn will face Michigan State in the South Region final on Sunday, with a trip to the Final Four on the line. The Spartans held off Mississippi 73-70 in the first game of the night in Atlanta.
Johni Broome scored 22 points to go along with 16 rebounds, but it was Pettiford and Jones who took control with Auburn’s season on the brink.
The Wolverines (27-10) built their biggest lead, 49-38, and seemed headed for their most improbable performance yet in a remarkable comeback season under first-year coach Dusty May
Michigan State 73, Mississippi 70
Jace Richardson scored 24 points and Michigan State surged past Mississippi in the second half for a victory in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
Ole Miss (24-12) was denied in its bid for its first Elite Eight appearance despite leading by 10 points in the first half and by nine in the second half.
Michigan State (30-6), the South Region’s No 2 seed, rallied to keep alive coach Tom Izzo’s bid for his ninth Final Four and second national championship. The Spartans will play No 1 seed Auburn on Sunday.
Izzo, in his 16th Sweet 16, earned his 59th NCAA Tournament win, breaking a tie with Jim Boeheim of Syracuse for fourth all-time.
Tennessee 78, Kentucky 65
Zakai Zeigler had 18 points and 10 assists, and Tennessee outhustled and outplayed Kentucky on both ends of the court in a victory that sent the Volunteers to a second consecutive Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
The second-seeded Vols (30-7) beat their border rival in the first all-Southeastern Conference Sweet 16 matchup since 1986 and will play Sunday against Houston in the Midwest Region final.
Chaz Lanier added 17 points and Jordan Gainey had 16 for the Vols, who lost twice to Kentucky in the regular season but prevailed on a much bigger stage this time.
No one enjoyed the show at Lucas Oil Stadium more than Peyton Manning, who was back in the town where he spent 13 years and won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts. The Vols’ most famous sports alum was in a bright orange ballcap seated behind the bench as Tennessee ran off with a no-doubt victory in the “House Peyton Built”.
Lamont Butler scored 18 points to lead first-year coach Mark Pope’s third-seeded Wildcats (24-12), who were held 20 points under their season scoring average. Their 65 points matched their fewest in a game this season.
Houston 62, Purdue 60
Milos Uzan soared for an uncontested layup on a beautifully executed inbound play with 0.9 seconds left, and No 1 seed Houston survived a late collapse to beat fourth-seeded Purdue in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Houston led 56-46 with just under eight minutes remaining but made only one field goal from there until Uzan’s tiebreaking bucket. He inbounded the ball from the baseline to Joseph Tugler, who threw a bounce pass back to Uzan, and the 6ft 4in junior took it to the rim.
Houston, the Big 12 regular-season and tournament champion, became the fourth No 1 seed to reach the Elite Eight. The Cougars haven’t lost since 1 February and won this time at Lucas Oil Stadium, where their 2021 tourney run ended with a loss in the Final Four to eventual national champion Baylor.
Uzan scored 22 points and Emanuel Sharp had 17 as Houston survived an off night from leading scorer LJ Cryer, who finished with five points on 2-of-13 shooting.
Fletcher Loyer scored 16 points, Trey Kaufman-Renn had 14 and Big Ten player of the year Braden Smith added seven points and 15 assists to lead Purdue (24-12). Smith assisted on all 11 second-half baskets for last year’s national runner-up, which played in front of a friendly crowd about an hour’s drive from its campus in West Lafayette.
