Johni Broome and Chaney Johnson each scored 18 points – the most the latter has totaled in two seasons on the Plains – to lead No. 5 Auburn past Kent State 79-56 Wednesday at Neville Arena.
“We beat a good Kent State team,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “We did not have a letdown after the big victory on Saturday.”
In Auburn’s first three games, Johnson is shooting 68 percent (18 for 25) after going 8-for-11 against the Golden Flashes, including 2-for-3 from 3-point range.
“My teammates are trusting me, Coach Pearl is getting me the ball in the right spots and I’m just making shots,” Johnson said. “I did come in with a bigger chip on my shoulder because I knew I was going to have to take the spot that J-Will (Jaylin Williams) filled so well. Trusting in my work and playing with more confidence.”
Broome recorded a double-double, adding 12 rebounds along with three blocked shots. Auburn’s big men – Broome, Johnson and Dylan Cardwell – shared the game’s assist high with Tahaad Pettiford with four each.
“It goes back to us being unselfish and believing in our teammates,” said Broome, whose first double-double of the season was his 25th at Auburn. “We took what the defense gave us and were able to make inside-out plays.”
Leading by 14 at the half, Auburn saw Kent State cut the Tigers’ advantage to four early in the second half before Broome scored six points in an 8-0 run that restored the lead to double digits.
Scoreless in the first half while plagued by foul trouble, Pettiford scored seven points in two and a half minutes to help Auburn lead by 15 midway through the second half.
After Kent State got back within 10, Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 7:33 to play and Auburn never led by fewer than 11 the rest of the way. The Tigers made four of their last five shots to win by 23 points.
JP Pegues lobbed to Johnson for a dunk with 11 seconds left in the half to give Auburn a 36-22 halftime lead.
“Chaney’s our hardest worker,” Pearl said. “He’s in the gym all the time. He likes to work out. (Assistant coach) Ira Bowman is in the gym with him every day. He doesn’t know any other way. His confidence is up and his teammates believe in him.”
Auburn scored the game’s first 12 points and built a 22-point lead on Chad Baker-Mazara’s layup with 7:10 to play in the half before a 12-0 Kent State run trimmed the Tigers’ lead to 10 points.
Johnson scored 11 points in the first half while Baker-Mazare scored nine of his 12 points before intermission. Broome scored 12 second-half points and Denver Jones scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half.
Auburn outrebounded Kent State 41-33 and had a 23:6 assist-to-turnover ratio while holding the visitors to only five assists.
Auburn (3-0) remains at Neville Arena Monday against North Alabama at 8 p.m. CT.
“The kids get the day off tomorrow and we’ll get back into the gym on Friday,” Pearl said.
