Auburn moves closer to program’s first Final Four
Austin Wiley steps up big and comes up with the rejection on Nassir Little as he tries to throw down a dunk. (0:21)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Auburn is the lowest remaining seed in the NCAA tournament, but the Tigers are the rest of the field’s worst nightmare.
Auburn took down its second straight college basketball giant Friday night in the Sweet 16, running away from North Carolina in the second half for a 97-80 victory. The Tigers, the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region, will play Kentucky on Sunday.
The Tigers beat the No. 1-seeded Tar Heels the same way they took down Kansas to advance to the Sweet 16. They made 17 of 37 3-point shots (46 percent), including 12 of 18 in the second half. They buried 43 percent of their 3s in beating the Jayhawks.
The Tigers are fearless. They’re unafraid of any shot and any pace, and if they continue their torrid percentage from 3 on Sunday, they’ll advance to the first Final Four in school history.
“It was too difficult for us [to defend Auburn] because we didn’t do a very good job of it,” North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. “They push the pace very hard, come right up your back. They penetrate, and in trying to make the decision whether to help or stay attached to the 3-point shooter, they can back you off with their quickness and shoot it.
“But they still had to make them and you have to give them credit for that.”
The down note for the Tigers was the loss of forward Chuma Okeke with a knee injury. Auburn coach Bruce Pearl wouldn’t speculate on the nature of the injury but said ”it could be serious.”
Auburn buried No. 1 seed North Carolina with 3s on Friday night, draining 17 shots from distance on the way to a 97-80 victory over the Tar Heels.
Friday’s games included both big wins (Michigan State and Auburn) and close ones (Duke and Kentucky).
Okeke is Auburn’s leading rebounder and third-leading scorer. He was their top scorer against North Carolina with 20 points.
“In a game full of guys that have got a chance to play at the next level, I thought he was the best player,” Pearl said.
“He’s a nightmare to match up with because he can guard any position. He can score inside and out. So as a playcaller, he gives you incredible flexibility. He’s our most versatile player.”
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The Tigers made their first three shots of the second half — two of them from 3 — to go on an 8-0 run and take control of the game. The Tar Heels never seriously threatened after that.
North Carolina, as the Tar Heels usually do, insisted on playing at a frantically fast pace. Auburn didn’t hesitate to run with them. Their shooting was off in the first half, as they were just 5-of-9 (26 percent) from 3.
Auburn’s second-half shooting was more typical of the Tigers of late. As Pearl said, “We are who we are.”
That’s a team with 11 straight victories, the longest current winning streak among Division I teams. The ride could end on Sunday, but that’s going to take an opponent more adept defensively than Kansas and North Carolina.