No. 1 Auburn Holds Off No. 9 Creighton as Fans Celebrate March Madness Sweet 16 Berth

Auburn avoided an upset loss with a strong second-half performance on Saturday night.

The No. 1 seed Tigers secured a 82-70 win over No. 9 Creighton in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

The Bluejays held a two-point advantage at halftime and led 50-48 early in the second half, but head coach Bruce Pearl's squad immediately responded with a 14-4 run to gain some separation.

Creighton remained within striking distance through the rest of the contest but ultimately couldn't close the gap.

Fans and pundits were impressed with the Tigers' performance after they punched their ticket to the Sweet 16.

Freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford led Auburn with 23 points off the bench, shooting 7-of-14 from the field and connecting on two of his three attempts from behind the arc.

Seniors Chad Baker-Mazara and Denver Jones finished with 17 points and 15 points, respectively.

Dylan Cardwell also made his presence felt by racking up six points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal.

The Tigers were dominant on the glass, pulling down 37 rebounds. They secured 11 offensive rebounds compared to Creighton's four offensive boards.

Auburn earned a spot in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019 and will now face off against Michigan for a chance to earn an Elite 8 berth.