In a disappointing turn of events, the No. 4 seed Auburn basketball team fell to the 13-seed Yale Bulldogs in the Round of 64 in the Spokane Arena. Despite leading by six points with just four minutes remaining, the Tigers were unable to hold on and ultimately lost 78-76 to Yale.
Yale’s junior standout, John Poulakidas, was instrumental in the upset victory, hitting a crucial 3-pointer late in the game to give his team the lead. Chad Baker-Mazara, one of Auburn’s key players, was ejected early in the game for throwing an elbow, leaving the Tigers without one of their top performers.
On the other side, Johni Broome had a strong showing for Auburn, tallying 24 points and 13 rebounds. However, Yale’s sharpshooting Poulakidas, who finished with 28 points on 10-for-15 shooting, proved to be the difference-maker in the game.
This early exit from the NCAA Tournament marks the end of a successful season for Auburn, which had won six straight games en route to capturing the SEC Tournament championship. Despite this setback, head coach Bruce Pearl and the Tigers will look to regroup and focus on the future.
For more coverage of Auburn athletics and all the latest news on NCAA basketball, be sure to follow Richard Silva, the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. You can reach him via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.
Stay tuned for more updates on college basketball and the NCAA Tournament as the action continues to unfold.
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