In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Auburn got its 9th all-time win as the Tigers beat the New Mexico State Aggies 78-77 in a wild game. The Tigers led by thirteen points later before almost completely collapsing, and narrowly avoided the classic 12-over-5 upset as a last-second three fell off for the Aggies. Auburn will advance to take on the winner of the Kansas-Northeastern matchup on Saturday.
Jared Harper and J’Von McCormick both finished with 17 points, while Chuma Okeke added 13 for the Tigers. The Aggies were led by their big guys Johnny McCants and Ivan Aurrecoechea, who combined for 29 points on 10-13 shooting.