Auburn's Collapse: NCAA Bubble Bursts

0:00In Birmingham, it's March 14th, and here's what is going on. 12th-seeded Auburn lost a 5th-seeded Tennessee, 72-62 in the SEC tournament on Thursday. The Tigers held a double-digit lead late in the second half, but collapsed, letting the volunteers end the game on a 31-11 run. This defeat marks Auburn's second straight tournament lost to Tennessee, and dims their NCAA tournament chances. Auburn controlled the first half with gritty defense, limiting Tennessee to 25 points on 37% shooting. The Tigers grabbed key offensive rebounds against the nation's best, and led 32-25 at the break, despite their own shaky offense. Things unraveled midway through the second half, when Tennessee's Nate Amman sparked a 20-0 run. Auburn committed seven turnovers after half-time, shot just 32% from the floor, and missed five free throws as Tennessee outscored them. 47-30. Tahad Petaford poured in a game-high 28 points,

1:02including five three-pointers, but no other Tiger-reached double figures. Keeshawn Hall struggled, going 4-14 from the field. Bracketologist Joe Lunardi now lists Auburn among the first 14s out of the NCAA field. With other conference tournaments handing out automatic bids, the Tigers must rely on chaos elsewhere to sneak into the dance. This episode is supported by our sponsor. Your bedtime ritual just got better. Built-in sound, built-in comfort. S-O-L-I-SoliPillow.com