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Auburn basketball feeds off crowd in Sweet 16 win over Michigan: A big reason why we won'
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- Auburn basketball feeds off crowd in Sweet 16 win over Michigan: A big reason why we won'
ATLANTA — You could have mistaken the Sweet 16 matchup between Auburn and Michigan for a game at Neville Arena.
The top-seeded Tigers turned State Farm Arena into their home away from home Friday night, with thousands of orange-and-blue-clad fans roaring from the opening tip of a 78-65 Sweet 16 victory over fifth-seeded Michigan.
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Every block. Every dunk. Every loose ball. The crowd fueled the Tigers, who will face second-seeded Michigan State in the Elite Eight on Sunday.
And when senior forward Johni Broome drilled a 3-pointer in the opening minutes over 7-footer Vladislav Goldin , the building shook.
"(The crowd was) very important man," Auburn forward Chaney Johnson said. "I mean, I'm not gonna lie, Michigan was up and we started on that run, and we did this to the crowd and they woke up, so, it's big. The crowd distracts the other team. They don't know they're running. You feel me? They can't really communicate. They can't hear themselves. So, I mean, they were a big reason why we won."
Auburn didn't look comfortable from the jump, despite pushing pace and playing through Broome — who handled Michigan's size with poise.
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The Tigers' backcourt, led by Denver Jones and Tahaad Pettiford , fed off the crowd's energy with aggressive drives and finally began to connect on 3-pointers in the second half, finishing a combined 6-for-14 from the arc. The guards finished with 20 points each.
Michigan tried to settle behind its 7-foot lineup of Goldin and Danny Wolf , but Auburn's physicality — and the overwhelming crowd behind it — made every post touch feel like a street fight.
"They had two great frontcourt guys in Vlad and Danny Wolf, so we knew we were gonna have to go out there and just play physical and play our brand of basketball," Auburn forward Chris Moore said.
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Tre Donaldson , the former Auburn guard now starting for Michigan, was met with a mix of cheers and jeers during introductions. His 3-pointer to open the game briefly silenced the crowd, but Auburn answered quickly with another bucket, bringing Tigers fans back to a roar.
Johnson sent the crowd into pandemonium 5 minutes into the second half, ripping the ball out of Goldin's hands and immediately waving his arms to rile up a sea of orange and blue.
With each defensive stand and fast-break bucket, the Tigers pulled more energy from their unofficial home floor.
"I would say that our guys really appreciated the fans," Auburn men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl said. "Obviously it helped elevate their play."
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Andy Mathis is a student in the University of Georgia's Sports Media Certificate program.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Auburn basketball feeds off crowd in Sweet 16 win vs. Michigan
