The Auburn Tigers advanced to the Final Four with a 70-64 victory over the Michigan State Spartans on Sunday, but they were given a scare by their star forward, Johni Broome, who suffered a left leg injury before taking a knock to his right elbow. Broome provided an update on his status after the game.
Broome excelled for Auburn, scoring 25 points and grabbing 14 rebounds to hold Michigan State at arm’s length for much of the game. However, it appeared that his day had ended prematurely. Broome did return, however, and head coach Bruce Pearl praised his team’s resilience afterwards.
“Our guys played some really, really good basketball defensively,” Pearl remarked following the victory. “We did an excellent job of keeping those guards out, switching, and putting bodies on bodies. Sometimes it’s difficult to do what you’re supposed to do.” With the triumph, all eyes turned to Auburn’s upcoming game against the Florida Gators. While there was some concern that Broome wouldn’t be ready to play, he stated that he was OK and will be on the court when the Tigers faced the Gators.
“I went back to the locker room, and nothing was broken, praise God. Come back out, and get on the court. What have I done? Call God. “Just hit a three-pointer,” Broome told Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68.
Auburn is now only one win away from playing in the National Championship Game after reaching the Final Four. The winner of their contest will face either the Duke Blue Devils or the Houston Cougars. First, they will have to get through Florida, though, with tip-off for their game set for Saturday, April 5 at 6:09 p.m. ET.
