Kansas City, MO (EETV)- Auburn continues their dream run as they took down the North Carolina Tar Heels to advance to their second elite eight in school history.
The pace of the game was all it lived up to as both teams matched each other shot for shot. Auburn struggled from three, but stayed in the game, forcing nine turnovers in the first half.
Chuma Okeke led the Tigers with a 12 point game in the first half shooting 5-7 from the field. Jared Harper got into foul trouble early, but Javon McCormick stepped up big scoring 10 points including a layup to take the lead at the halftime buzzer.
Auburn opened the second half with a 12-0 run with three point shots from Jared Harper, Bryce Brown, and Chuma Okeke which gave Auburn a 10 point lead.
The Tigers extended their lead to 21 as the three point shots kept falling. Daniel Purifoy led the charge with three straight three pointers.
Auburn took a major blow with 8:08 remaining as Okeke went down with a nasty blow to his knee. He was able to walk but would not return to the game.
Auburn's lead would be enough for the win as they are now 18-2 when they score 80 points or more. The Tigers set a record for most three point shots by an SEC team in the NCAA Tournament.
Leading scorers tonight were Chuma Okeke with 20 points and Malik Dunbar who added 13. Auburn‘s bench scored a combined 40 points as three players were in double figures.
Auburn will face SEC foe Kentucky on Sunday at 1:20 for the right to go to the Final Four next Saturday. The game will be televised on CBS.
