In a tournament that has already seen several massive upsets, second-seeded Auburn took care of business in dominant fashion Saturday morning. The Tigers beat Jacksonville State 80-61 to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Auburn (28-5) was in a close game for much of the first half before taking over in the final minutes of the half to take a 39-27 lead into the half and led by double-digits the entire second half.
The scariest part of the second half for Auburn was when Walker Kessler and Jaylin Williams collided and both went to the locker room. Kessler with a gash on his elbow and Williams with chipped teeth.
Auburn improved to 14-0 against Jacksonville State with the win and is set to play the winner of USC and Miami in their next game.
Here are some takeaways from Auburn’s first-round victory.