To cap off a wild night in SECbasketball, the top-ranked Auburn Tigers traveled to Texas A&M to take on the No. 22 ranked Aggies.
The Aggies were coming off four straight losses, three of which being to ranked opponents: Mississippi State, Tennessee, and Florida. They needed a stretch of wins here to avoid any slow starts in the big dance.
From the opening tip off, Auburn never led, as Texas A&M secured the win 83-72. This loss does little to affect the SEC standings, as the Tigers are the regular season champions.
This marked the second straight rough performance for Auburn star Johni Broome, as he is looking to edge out Duke sensation Cooper Flagg for National Player of the Year. Over the last two games, Broome has totaled 17 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in 65 minutes of playing time.
It is undeniable that he is one of the nation’s top players, but a slump coming at the end of the season is something that needs to be turned around before the tournament begins.
This loss makes the rematch between Alabama on Saturday even more crucial. A loss to Alabama, and an early exit in the SEC tournament, could cost Auburn a No. 1 seed in the March Madness tournament, which begins in just a couple of weeks.
While both of those events are unlikely, based on Auburn’s dominance all year, it is March, and anything can happen.
Auburn will host Alabama at Neville Arena for an early Saturday battle to attempt to get back into the win column before tournament season.