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SPOKANE, Wash. — Survive and advance. That’s the name of the game in March Madness.
No. 4 seed Auburn basketball had that in its sights against 13-seed Yale in the Round of 64 on Friday, up by six points with four minutes remaining in Spokane Arena. But the Tigers, due to some missed shots and untimely fouls, collapsed late to get upset by the Bulldogs, 78-76.
Yale junior John Poulakidas was unbelievable throughout, but especially with one big shot down the stretch. He connected on a clutch 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs (23-9) a lead with just over two minutes remaining, and they never looked back.
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An early exit for Chad Baker-Mazara in Auburn vs Yale
Junior wing Chad Baker-Mazara is, in many ways, the leader of the Tigers (27-8). He’s expressive, emotional and isn’t afraid to talk trash. He said the day before the game that he didn’t mind playing the “villain” role.
But Baker-Mazara bit off more than he could chew against Yale. He’s no stranger to extracurricular activities − he’s picked up a number of technical fouls in his first season at Auburn − but the retaliatory elbow he threw less than four minutes into the game got him ejected.
Quick start for Johni Broome
The first possession of the game featured Johni Broome taking the ball directly into the chest of Yale center Danny Wolf, who was whistled for a foul. It was emblematic of Broome’s aggressive performance, as the consensus All-American finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds.
John Poulakidas couldn’t seem to miss
Every Poulakidas 3-pointer felt like a body shot to Auburn, with his fifth make coming in the middle of a 10-0 run that featured Yale briefly taking the lead early in the second half. He finished with a game-high 28 points on 10-for-15 shooting.
What’s next
The Tigers, who were winners of six straight on the way to taking the SEC Tournament championship, bow out of the NCAA Tournament early. Pearl’s 10th season at Auburn is over.
Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.
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