Rewinding Auburn basketball's stunning March Madness loss to Yale

Just five days removed from winning the SEC Tournament championship on March 17, the Auburn Tigers men’s basketball team returns to action Friday afternoon to take on the Yale Bulldogs in the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

When Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl met with the media Tuesday, it was clear he and the Tigers had moved on quickly from the championship win.

“If you notice, I didn’t mention anything about Sunday,” Pearl said. “And I’m not gonna talk about it much.”

Instead, he and his coaching staff have been zeroed in on getting Auburn ready to take on Yale.

“This coaching staff, this is a really good team, a really good program, and they’ve got a really good history of first-round upsets,” Pearl said of Yale Tuesday. “Why is that? Because they play the right way, because they play hard, they play physically, they’re from the Ivy League so they’re smart.”

Auburn knows it can’t be complacent against Yale, which comes into the matchup with a 22-9 record and recent a Ivy League Tournament title.

Follow along for live updates from Friday afternoon’s action in Spokane, which will tip off at approximately 3:30 p.m. CT.

Pregame

AUBURN’S STARTERS

Guard — Aden Holloway

Guard — Denver Jones

Forward — Chad Baker-Mazara

Forward — Jaylin Williams

Forward — Johni Broome

YALE’S STARTERS

Guard — Bez Mbeng

Guard — August Mahoney

Guard — John Poulakidas

Forward — Danny Wolf

Forward — Matt Knowling

First half

19:09 — With a pair of made free throws from Johni Broome and a deep 3-pointer from Denver Jones, Auburn takes a quick 5-0 lead.

17:42 — Johni Broome sinks a 3-pointer to stretch Auburn’s lead out to 10-2. Broome as an easy seven points early for the Tigers.

17:23 — After taking a fall near the baseline and grabbing at one of his ankles, Auburn’s Jaylin Williams gingerly walks towards the locker room and returns to the bench shortly after. Williams seems okay to return.

16:59 — Auburn forward Chad Baker-Mazara is hit with a flagrant 2 foul after elbowing a Yale player. He’s ejected from the rest of the game. Yale’s August Mahoney goes 1-for-2 from the free throw line following the foul.

14:58 — Auburn leads Yale 14-10 after a dunk from Jaylin Williams.

14:06 — A pair of made 3-pointers from Yale’s Poulakidas and Mahoney, followed by a pair of made free throws from Yale’s Nick Townsend gives Yale an 18-16 lead.

9:43 — Auburn currently leads Yale 24-21.

7:12 — At the under-8 media timeout, Auburn holds on to a 28-25 lead over Yale. The Tigers are currently shooting the ball 58% from the field and have scored 11 points off six forced turnovers. Meanwhile, Johni Broome leads all scorers with 11 points.

6:20 — Auburn center Johni Broom gets loose for a breakaway dunk, which stretches the Tigers’ lead to 31-25.

4:28 — Auburn’s Tre Donaldson hits a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give Auburn an 36-29 advantage.

3:00 — Yale’s Poulakidas answers Donaldson’s made three ball with one of his own to trim Auburn’s lead back down to just four points.

00:46 — Auburn’s Chaney Johnson fights through contact during a dunk and gets the basket to count, along with the whistle. Johnson converts the 3-point play and extends the Tigers’ lead out to 41-34.

Halftime — Auburn 41, Yale 34

With a seven-point lead at the break, the Tigers are beating the Bulldogs in the following statistical categories:

• FG% — Auburn: 50%, Yale: 41%
• FT% — Auburn: 89%, Yale: 73%
• Committed turnovers — Auburn: 5, Yale: 9
• Points of turnovers — Auburn: 13, Yale: 2
• Second-chance points — Auburn: 7, Yale: 5
• Bench points — Auburn: 13, Yale: 6
• Points in the paint — Auburn: 20, Yale: 10

Meanwhile, Auburn and Yale are tied in the rebound battle at 17 all.

Second half

18:49 — Yale outscores Auburn 5-2 in the opening minutes of the second half. Auburn hangs on to its 43-39 lead.

17:57 — Yale’s Poulakidas hits his second 3-pointer in the second half and fifth in the game to cut Auburn’s lead to just one point.

17:18 — Yale ties the game at 43-43 after a 9-0 scoring run.

16:27 — Auburn’s Chaney Johnson is whistled for a charge, giving Johnson his third personal foul. The Tigers now have three players with three fouls: Johnson, Jaylin Williams and Denver Jones.

15:09 — Auburn’s Jaylin Williams hits a deep 3-ball off a pick-and-pop movement to put the Tigers back out front 48-46.

13:51 — Auburn’s Tre Donaldson connects with Jaylin Williams on an alley-oop dunk, which gives the Tigers a 50-46 advantage.

13:23 — On the Tigers’ next trip down the floor, Denver Jones sinks a wide open look from beyond the arc for Auburn. The Tigers lead the Bulldogs 53-46.

11:30 — Auburn’s Jaylin Williams and Yale’s John Poulakidas trade 2-point shots. Auburn leads 55-48.

10:24 — Auburn’s Chris Moore recovers from a pass thrown at his shoes and successfully sinks a corner 3-pointer to give the Tigers a 60-50 lead.

8:25 — Yale’s Danny Wolf his a big 3-pointer, his first of the game, to cut Auburn’s lead to five points.

4:39 — Yales John Poulakidas gets a layup to fall, cutting Auburn’s lead to just four points, 68-64.

2:38 — Auburn’s Johni Broome is called for an offensive foul that leaves Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl shaking his head. Yale goes to the line with a chance to tie the game at 70-70 and does.

2:22 — Yale is hit with a goaltending call on an attempt from Johni Broome, which puts Auburn back out front 72-70.

2:09 — Yale’s John Poulakidas hits a stepback 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs the lead and give him a new career high with 28 points.

1:12 — Yale calls a timeout after securing an offensive rebound with the Bulldogs out front 73-72.

00:55 — Auburn forces a shot clock violation and will take possession trailing by one point.

00:46 — Auburn’s Denver Jones draws an off-ball foul, which will send him to the line for a 1-and-1. Officials take a look to see if its flagrant, but rule it a common foul. Jones misses the free throw and Auburn’s Johni Broome commits a foul on the rebound, sending Yale to the line with a chance to increase the lead out to three points.

00:45 — Yale’s Danny Wolf goes 2-for-2 from the line to give the Bulldogs a three-point lead.

00:33 — Yale’s Danny Wolf fouls Johni Broome, meaning Wolf has fouled out. Broome will go to the line and convert both free throws. 75-74, Yale.

00:33 — After struggling to get the ball in bounds, Yale is forced to burn its final timeout. Auburn still has one timeout.

00:32 — Looking for a steal, Auburn’s Johni Broome is whistled for a foul, which will send Yale to the line for two free throws. August Mahoney will sink both, putting Auburn back in a three-point hole.

00:14.4 — Yale will got back to the line for a chance a two shots. Yale goes 1-for-2 from the line to give the Bulldogs a four-point lead.

00:08.7 — Auburn’s KD Johnson plays through a foul to make a layup. He’s fouled, misses the three-point opportunity and the possession arrow favors Auburn after a scrum for the rebound. 78-76, Yale

00:06.1 — Auburn’s Tre Donaldson is fouled and will go to the line with a chance to tie the game.

FINAL — Yale 78, Auburn 76