Top-seeded Auburn rallies in 2nd half, beats Michigan 78-65 in Sweet 16 of March Madness

ATLANTA (AP) — With Auburn's season on the brink, Tahaad Pettiford and Denver Jones suddenly became unstoppable.

On to the Elite Eight for the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Pettitford and Jones scored 20 points apiece to lead a second-half barrage that rallied the Tigers to a 78-65 victory over Michigan in the Sweet 16 on Friday night.

The Tigers (31-5) wiped out a nine-point deficit, outscoring No. 5 seed Michigan 39-17 over the final 12 1/2 minutes to advance to the Elite Eight for only the third time in school history. They also became the fourth Southeastern Conference team to reach a regional final, with the SEC joining the Atlantic Coast Conference (2016) and Big East (2009) as the only leagues to do that.

“Just the kids’ will to win,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “Denver got heated up. Tahaad got heated up. We went to them, and they delivered.”

Auburn will face Michigan State in the South Region final on Sunday, with a trip to the Final Four on the line. The Spartans held off Mississippi 73-70 in the first game of the night in Atlanta.

Johni Broome scored 22 points to go along with 16 rebounds, but it was Pettiford, a freshman, and Jones, a senior, who took control when Auburn needed them most.

The Wolverines (27-10) built their biggest lead, 49-38, and seemed headed for their most improbable performance yet in a remarkable comeback season under first-year coach Dusty May.

But Pettiford sparked the comeback with a step-back jumper from beyond the 3-point stripe, Jones knocked down two straight from long range before scoring on a drive to the hoop, and Pettiford finished off Michigan with two stunning shots: a trey after briefly losing the ball but getting it back, followed by a three-point play when he knocked one down before landing flat on his back after being fouled.

“I saw one go in, and I just saw the basket get bigger and bigger," Jones said. “So I just kept shooting.”

Danny Wolf led No. Michigan with 20 points, but no one else on the Wolverines managed more than 10.

Still, the Wolverines had plenty of reasons to be proud after bouncing back from an 8-24 debacle a year ago that set a school record for losses in a season and led to the firing of former Fab Five star Juwan Howard.

“They left a legacy," May said. ”They established an identity. They should be very, very proud of their body of work."

The first half was played at a frantic but sloppy pace, with both teams plagued by turnovers and struggling to hit shots.

One sequence epitomized the opening 20 minutes. Tre Donaldson threw the ball away with a lazy pass, but Auburn gave it right back when Chad Baker-Mazara’s unnecessary behind-the-back effort was picked off by Roddy Gayle Jr. The Wolverines took off the other way, only to have Donaldson turn it over again with an errant lob that sailed way out of bounds. In just nine seconds, the teams combined for three turnovers.

Auburn led 30-29 at halftime despite hitting just 12 of 37 shots (32.4%) from the field, including a 3-of-16 showing from beyond the 3-point arc, to go along with 10 turnovers. The Tigers gave themselves plenty of second and third chances, and even a fourth on one possession. They finished with 48-33 edge on the boards, including 19 rebounds at the offensive end.

Broome and the rest of Auburn's frontcourt held up just fine against Michigan's two 7-footers, Wolf and Vladislav Goldin.

“We took the game personal,” Broome said. “That's a great front line, but we wanted to challenge ourselves to make it tough on them.”

It felt a bit like an Auburn home game with the Tigers playing only 110 miles from their campus just across the state line in eastern Alabama.

The crowd, largely clad in orange and blue, broke into a “Let’s go Auburn!” chant shortly after the tipoff at State Farm Arena. They really erupted when the Tigers rallied in the second half.

“It obviously helped to elevate their play," Pearl said. “If you're the overall No. 1 seed, you should be able to play close enough to home so the fans can see it.”

It definitely felt like a road game to the Wolverines, who were cheered on by a much smaller contingent.

“Obviously in the second half, they hit a few shots and the crowd erupted,” Wolf said. “That was a huge momentum swing.”

Auburn: The Tigers lost in their first trip to the Elite Eight in 1986. They reached their lone Final Four in 2019, when a setback to eventual champion Virginia ended their season. ... Pearl did not like one line in particular on the stat sheet — 15 turnovers. “If Michigan can turn us over 15 times, Michigan State could turn us over 25 times,” the coach said. “That's a concern.”

Michigan: Goldin was held to 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting. He also led the Wolverines with nine rebounds. ... Nimari Burnett scored 10 points as well. ... Michigan shot just 35.6% from the field (21 of 59), including 5 of 17 from outside the stripe. ... The Wolverines had only six assists, compared to 15 for Auburn.

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Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford (0) works against Michigan during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Auburn guard Chad Baker-Mazara celebrates a win against Michigan after the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Auburn center Dylan Cardwell celebrates a win against Michigan after the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Auburn center Dylan Cardwell (44) celebrates a play against Michigan during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Auburn guard Denver Jones (2) celebrates during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Michigan, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Michigan guard Nimari Burnett (4) drives against Auburn guard Miles Kelly (13) during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Auburn forward Johni Broome (4) reacts to play against Michigan during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Michigan center Vladislav Goldin (50) loses the ball against Auburn during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Auburn forward Chaney Johnson (31) and Michigan guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) work during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl watches play against Michigan during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Michigan head coach Dusty May watches play against Auburn during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Auburn guard Miles Kelly (13) shoots against Michigan center Vladislav Goldin (50) during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Auburn guard Denver Jones (2) shoots against Michigan during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Auburn guard Denver Jones (2) moves the ball against Michigan during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Michigan guard Tre Donaldson (3) and Auburn guard Denver Jones (2) chase a loose ball during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford (0) shoots against Michigan during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Auburn forward Johni Broome (4) reacts to his basket against Michigan during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Auburn guard Miles Kelly (13) celebrates a victory over against Michigan after the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Auburn center Dylan Cardwell (44) celebrates play against Michigan during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

The Auburn bench celebrates during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Michigan, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bam Adebayo had 28 points and 12 rebounds, Tyler Herro added 27 points and the Miami Heat rolled past the Washington Wizards 120-94 on Monday night for their fifth consecutive victory.

The Heat (34-41) became the third team in NBA history to immediately follow a losing streak of at least 10 games with a winning streak of at least five games. The 2021-22 Houston Rockets lost 15 straight and then won seven in a row, and the 2017-18 Chicago Bulls lost 10 straight before winning seven in a row.

Pelle Larsson and Terry Rozier each scored 15 for Miami, which has gotten each of its last five wins by at least 10 points.

Jordan Poole had 35 points in 29 minutes for the Wizards. Poole hit seven 3-pointers, raising his season total to 228 and eclipsing the franchise record of 223 by Bradley Beal in 2016-17. Tristan Vukcevic added 14 off the Washington bench.

Heat: Miami was again without Andrew Wiggins and Duncan Robinson because of injuries and Kevin Love for personal reasons. Davion Mitchell was a late scratch with a stomach illness.

Wizards: It was Washington's 49th loss of the season by double digits and its 23rd loss by at least 20 points. The Wizards have only five double-digit wins this season, none of them by more than 18 points.

A 15-0 run in the first quarter put Miami in control for good.

The Heat had 68 points in the paint and 62 rebounds.

Miami finishes a three-game road trip Wednesday at Boston. Washington continues its homestand Wednesday against Sacramento.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Washington Wizards forward Richaun Holmes, top, goes to the basket for a layup as Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (24) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Washington, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) shoots over Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Washington, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Washington Wizards guard AJ Johnson (5) dunks the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat in Washington, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) celebrates after his basket and a foul during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards in Washington, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) shoots a 3-point basket over Washington Wizards guard AJ Johnson (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Washington, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7) celebrates after his basket and a foul with guard Pelle Larsson, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards in Washington, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra signals for a replay of a foul during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards in Washington, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) drives to the basket as Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Washington, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Washington Wizards forward Richaun Holmes (22) dunks the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat in Washington, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) shoots the ball over Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie and forward Alex Sarr (20) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Washington, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)