Shorthanded Auburn stuns again, topples Kentucky to advance to 1st Final Four - Yahoo Sports

Auburn's Anfernee McLemore celebrates after a score against Kentucky during the second half of the Midwest Regional final game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament Sunday, March 31, 2019, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Auburn has slain another giant. And this time it punched the program’s first ticket to the Final Four.

Two days after stunning top-seed North Carolina in the Sweet 16, the Tigers toppled No. 2 seed Kentucky Sunday as their best player watched from the sideline in a wheelchair with a torn ACL.

Bryce Brown and Jared Harper picked up the slack and then some for an injured Chuma Okeke, willing the Tigers to the Final Four with a 77-71 win over Kentucky.

Auburn came into the game at a significant disadvantage, down its best player in NBA prospect Okeke, who suffered a torn left ACL in the second half of Friday’s win over North Carolina.

Where many expected a blowout thanks to the Okeke injury, the Tigers had other ideas. Kentucky got off to a hot start, opening a 22-13 lead in what looked like the start of the lopsided result predicted.

But as they did against the Tar Heels, the Tigers got hot late in the first half to keep the game manageable with a 35-30 deficit. Also like they did against the Tar Heels, they stayed hot in the second half and went on a tear to take the lead.

Brown’s 3-pointer at the 17:47 mark of the second half capped a 10-0 Auburn run to take a 40-37 lead that ensured the Wildcats were in for a battle.

A battle it was as Brown and Kentucky star PJ Washington traded blows down the stretch before Auburn had a chance to win in regulation with a final shot. But Horace Spencer’s contested 3-pointer missed the mark sending the game into the extra session tied at 60-60.

Overtime belonged to Auburn. The Tigers opened up their biggest lead of the game at 68-62 and fended of the Wildcats from there to make program history.

Brown finished with 24 points while hitting 4-of-7 3-pointers while Harper tallied 26 points, 5 assists, four rebounds and 3 steals while hitting all 11 of his free throws.

More from Yahoo Sports:

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https://sports.yahoo.com/auburn-stuns-again-topples-kentucky-shorthanded-to-advance-to-1st-final-four-205104626.html

2019-03-31 20:51:00Z
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