Johni Broome’s return keys No. 1 Auburn past No. 6 Tennessee

AUBURN, Ala. — Miles Kelly hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 30 seconds remaining and Johni Broome had 16 points and 13 rebounds in his return to the lineup as No. 1 Auburn extended its winning streak to 11 games with a 53-51 win over No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday night.

Auburn (18-1, 6-0 SEC) was held to its lowest point total of the season by Tennessee’s physical defense. Kelly’s 3-pointer off a feed from Broome turned a two-point deficit into a one-point lead.

Tennessee had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds, but a 3-point try by the Vols’ Zakai Zeigler missed the mark.

Broome, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound fifth-year senior and preseason Associated Press All-American, was back in action for the first time since suffering what coach Bruce Pearl called a “significant sprain” to his left ankle two weeks ago in a road win at South Carolina, secured crucial defensive rebounds on Tennessee’s final two possessions.

Zeigler had 14 points, six rebounds and five assists to lead the Volunteers (17-3, 4-3). Chaz Lanier added 10 points, including a pair of clutch 3-pointers in the second half.

Both teams shot less than 32% from the field in the physical, defensive battle.

Takeaways

Tennessee: The Volunteers have struggled with their shooting away from home in SEC play, and that continued in their third conference road loss.

Auburn: Even at less than 100%, Broome showed how valuable he is to the Tigers’ offense with his standout performance.

Key moment

Kelly’s 3-pointer, combined with Broome’s defensive stops, were enough for Auburn to remain the only unbeaten team in SEC play.

Key stat

Helped by the return of Broome to the lineup, Auburn outrebounded Tennessee 41-37.

Up next

Tennessee hosts No. 9 Kentucky on Tuesday. Auburn travels to LSU on Wednesday.