Benches cleared in the top of the 11th between Tennessee baseball and Auburn on Sunday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium Auburn's Bristol Carter attempted to steal home, where he was tagged out in a rundown by Vols pitcher Liam Doyle The pair appeared to exchange words and the benches partially cleared Home plate umpire Javerro January quickly got between Carter and Doyle Both teams' coaches corralled players back to the dugouts to avoid any escalation Vols coach Tony Vitello and Auburn coach Butch Thompson had brief conversations with the umpires The Vols won 5-4 in the bottom of the 11th on a walk-off single from pinch-hitter Chris Newstrom who snuck a seeing-eye single past a diving shortstop Eric Snow and into center field UT loaded the bases in the 11th with a pair of singles from Andrew Fischer and Hunter Ensley Dalton Bargo bunted the pair into scoring position before the Tigers walked Levi Clark Newstrom pinch hit for Reese Chapman and sent the Vols to the win to even the series UT and Auburn will play the rubber game at 2:30 p.m The second game of Tennessee Baseball’s doubleheader against Auburn on Saturday will be finished on Sunday afternoon The game was delayed by inclement weather in the top of the 10th inning Saturday’s game will resume at 1 p.m. Eastern Time Sunday. The weekend series will finish with a seven-inning game beginning 45 minutes after the second game of the series is completed. SEC rules dictate a seven-inning game if another game has to be completed on Sundays. Auburn won 6-1 in the first game of the day, which was continued after Friday night’s multiple weather delays and ultimate postponement.  The Vols tied Saturday’s second game in the bottom of the ninth on a Dalton Bargo solo home run to left field, answering the go-ahead run Auburn score in the top of the ninth.  Friday’s game was originally scheduled for 6:30 p.m., moved up to 5:30 because of impending weather, then delayed until 8 p.m. because of lightning in the area.  The game started at 8:02, but lasted just half an inning. Auburn took a 2-0 lead on an Ike Irish home run off Tennessee ace Liam Doyle, then the game was called before the bottom of the first could get started.  Samuel Dutton started for Auburn and went 6.2 innings in Saturday’s first game, giving up one run on four hits while striking out eight and not allowing a walk. Top 101Baseball Top 25 projectionNew No. 1 on deck Ejected, chews out every ump, tosses chair Hot4Texas lands QB transferLonghorns score in portal By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein. Tennessee got a single and double from Bargo and Levi Clark had an RBI double, but that was all the offense the Vols could muster in the loss to start Saturday.  The Vols were down 2-0 after the first inning in Saturday’s second game, Auburn scored two runs on three hits off Tennessee starter Marcus Phillips. Hunter Ensley tied the game in the third with a two-run single to right center, but was thrown out at second after trying to stretch the single into a double. Auburn went ahead 3-2 on after Irish reached on an error, stole second, stole third and scored on a wild pitch. Bargo tied it in the seventh with a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Dean Curley. Phillips went 4.1 innings, giving up three runs — two earned — on five hits. He had four strikeouts and two walks. Dylan Loy replaced Phillips in the fifth and went a season-long 3.2 innings, giving up the go-ahead run after Auburn started the top of the ninth with a double down the right-field line, the only hit Loy allowed.  Tennessee Baseball coach Tony Vitello explained his ejection Sunday against Auburn during his press conference after the game.... Watch and read what Tennessee coach Tony Vitello had to say on the weekend series with Auburn. Video and transcript from the postgame presser.... Tennessee pitcher Liam Doyle was ejected from the Vols Game 2 victory over Auburn on Sunday in the 11th inning. What does this mean?... Tennessee and Auburn concluded the three-game series on Sunday afternoon in Knoxville. Here's some Quick Takes from the ballgame.... Tony Vitello was ejected for the fifth time in his career as Tennessee's head coach on Sunday afternoon in series-finale with Auburn.... Tennessee came form behind to walk it off in the 5-4 suspended-completed contest on Sunday for Game 2 action. Watch how it all happened.... Tennessee takes game two of the series, having finished up on Sunday due to weather suspension. Vols & Tigers ready for rubber match.... Tennessee Baseball lost 6-1 to Auburn Saturday afternoon the series opener that was delayed after rain Friday night in Knoxville.... Tennessee and Auburn suspended play in the first inning Friday night due to weather. The completion of the contest will take place Saturday morning.... Tennessee is back home for a much needed stay at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Auburn comes to town this weekend looking to keep an overachieving season... Tennessee Baseball pitcher AJ Russell is scheduled to make his second straight SEC start when the Vols host Auburn on Sunday.... Tennessee is fairly healthy entering this weekend's SEC series with Auburn from Lindsey Nelson Stadium.... Former Tennessee catcher Charlie Taylor joins The Porch to detail UT's recent play and to look ahead to the final homestand of regular season.... What Tony Vitello said after Tennessee beat Northern Kentucky 7-5 Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.... Tennessee kicked off a key 9 game home stand with a Tuesday night win over Northern Kentucky as the Vols overcame a two run deficit.... In the latest attempt to gain eligibility for the 2025 baseball season, Alberto Osuna's team has filed for a motion of reconsideration to a Knoxville... Where Tennessee Baseball is ranked after the series loss at LSU over the weekend, the third series loss in the Vols' last four.... Tennessee baseball returns to the friendly confines of Lindsey Nelson Stadium this week and the Vols need to find a way to get back on track.... What Tony Vitello said after No. 6 Tennessee lost 12-2 to No. 5 LSU Sunday afternoon in the series finale in Baton Rouge.... Tennessee fell Sunday at LSU 12-2 loses the series. Here are four quick takes on the Vols, second straight series loss.... Junior right-hander AJ Russell will start for No. 6 Tennessee at No. 5 LSU on Sunday afternoon in Baton Rouge.... The 2026 NFL Draft is a full year away, but Tennessee corner Jermod McCoy is already being hyped as a top-10 prospect.... What head coach Tony Vitello said after No. 6 Tennessee's bounce-back win over No. 5 LSU Saturday night in Baton Rouge.... Tennessee's response Saturday night was exactly what Tony Vitello needed from his club after Friday's 9th inning collapse.... Tony Vitello moved Dean Curley from third base to. designated hitter for Saturday night's game at LSU, after his two errors Friday.... On3 is a registered trademark of On3 Media Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLEWISTON, Maine (WMTW) - Organizers of the Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival have released the theme and dates for the annual event. “The Rise of the Balloons,” is inspired by the Star Wars franchise and will bring intergalactic-themed balloons to Lewiston’s Simard-Payne Memorial Park Organizers have also announced that the tethered balloon rides will be returning to the festival this year The tethered rides allow guests to go up 30 to 60 feet in hot air balloons while remaining anchored to the ground “The festival isn’t just about watching balloons fly across the sky,” said Mell Hamlin “It’s about stepping into the magic and thrill while supporting our community.” The festival is free to enter and is open to the public Defensive EndsKeldric FaulkAmaris Williams Faulk will command the tiger's share of the offensive line's attention; he should still enjoy a fair amount of success. With the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft calling his name a double-digit sack year could be just the impetus to see him vault into the top-10 next April Sophomore Amaris Williams will be pushed by talented freshmen Jared Smith and Antonio Coleman for snaps Defensive TacklesMalik BloctonQuientrail Jamison-Travis BUCK LinebackerKeyron CrawfordChris Murray Rauterkus gives the nod to Crawford based on scheme familiarity. However, Crawford did not tally a single sack and only one tackle for loss in limited action. On the other hand, Murray, the Sam Houston State University transfer, posted 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and 11 tackles for loss. Regardless of competition, Auburn should go with Murray at the outset.  MIKE LinebackerCaleb WheatlandRobert Woodyard Jr. Wheatland started 25 games at Maryland and possesses a tangential link to Durkin through the Terrapins. Woodyard just does not have the experience to operate as the voice of the entire defense. His time could be on the horizon. Yet, it is not now. Freshman Elijah Mendez could force his way into the rotation as well.   WILL LinebackerDemarcus RiddickXavier Atkins As a freshman, Riddick won the job and did not look back with three sacks, a pass breakup and five tackles for loss.  His speed, ability to sift through trash and make the play should earn him the starting job, as long as he stays at Auburn.  Atkins transferred from LSU after his first season and should be a help on special teams right away while providing veteran depth behind Riddick. CornerbacksJay CrawfordKayin LeeRaion StraderRayshawn Pleasant OR Blake Woodby Crawford brings his ability to stay hip-to-hip with a wideout while Lee literally chooses violence, attempting to divorce the ball carrier from the ball and his senses. Miami (OH) transfer Raion Strader will be counted on early and often on the Tigers defense.  The best story of camp and the off-season sees Champ Anthony make his return after suffering a brutal leg injury against Arkansas in September. Now, he will take the field again, putting the nightmare of last season in the past.  SafetiesKaleb HarrisSylvester SmithAnQuon FegansJahquez Robinson Rauterkus expects Harris and Smith to start, based on their spring. However, he also believes that true freshman Fegans could actually challenge for a starting spot eventually. Auburn looks rather stout on the back end with talent to boot. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER having incredible success before losing in the Final Four.  The Tigers lost to the eventual national champion such as blue-chip freshman Tahaad Pettiford.  Pettiford declared for the 2025 NBA Draft after his freshman season at Auburn while maintaining college eligibility.  Auburn reacted to the news that Pettiford had been invited to the 2025 NBA Draft Combine "Formally invited ✅" posted the official social media account of the Auburn Tigers.  During his freshman season with the Auburn Tigers 2.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.  Pettiford is joined by a couple of the star freshmen across the country who will be participating in the NBA Draft Combine Pettiford originally committed to Auburn as a five-star recruit, ranked as the No. 2 point guard and the No. 29 overall player in the 247Sports recruiting rankings.  He'll now have a chance to make his mark in the 2025 NBA Draft Combine after a stellar season with the Auburn Tigers.  Error: no decision tree source folder detected Expectant mums of Western Sydney are set to benefit from the dedication of Auburn Hospital staff as ‘the gold standard’ of midwifery care is now available Caseload midwifery has been launched for the first time at the hospital after years of work by staff at Auburn Hospital “Caseload is a continuity of care model that provides women with care led by a known midwife throughout her pregnancy labour and birth and the early postnatal period,” Nesrine said Previously women would be seen by a different midwife each visit in their antenatal care “It is seen as the gold standard of maternity care for women caseload will be offered to women with a low-risk pregnancy on entry for the duration of their pregnancy,” Nesrine said Caseload is where the same midwife pairs with a patient throughout the pregnancy “The benefits for women and their families are that women are more likely to have a normal birth if they’re cared for on caseload women are less likely to experience unnecessary intervention and babies are more likely to be born healthy and at term.” Midwives who also accompany the mother and baby throughout their journey also find the model rewarding “Midwives experience higher job satisfaction working on caseload less burnout and are able to remain in the workforce for longer,” Nesrine said Director of Nursing and Midwifery at Auburn Hospital Kerry Newton launched the program in what she described as a proud moment building on the history of achievement and we are so proud that it’s finally up and running” Four midwives will be dedicated to caseload midwifery working in a team Each will be responsible for the care of 36 women per year about 12% of total births for the year at Auburn Hospital Caseload Midwife Amar Hamed says this is a historic moment for Auburn Hospital “This achievement is the culmination of nearly three decades of dedication advocacy and hard work of countless individuals who believed in the power of continuity of care and its transformative impact on women and families,” Amar said Amar has worked as a caseload midwife at Westmead Hospital and is one of the new recruits to Auburn Hospital to begin caseload “Looking ahead and as we launch caseload at Auburn hospital I’m excited to see the impact it will have on this community,” Amar said Western Sydney Local Health District is committed to delivering world class healthcare to support the health and wellbeing of our community We aim to work together to make our community the healthiest in NSW Photos must be high resolution and include correctly spelled captions with names from left to right Read the Disclaimers, Privacy and Copyright notice Heavy rainfall forced Friday night's series opener into a nearly five-hour weather delay, and the programs ended up logging a half inning before play was suspended until Saturday Ike Irish tacked Tennessee starter Liam Doyle for a two-run homer in that frame and the Tigers rode it to a 6-1 victory the next day with an 8-1 victory clinching a series win over the Volunteers for the first time since 2019 "We knew it was going be a hostile weekend," Irish told the Auburn Sports Network on Sunday 13-11 SEC) has 15 victories against ranked opponents This weekend also bucked a trend of struggling road success as the Tigers were 0-6 in their past six SEC road games Here are three takeaways from a significant series win over Tennessee the last time Auburn won a series against Tennessee in the Vitello era was 2019 the two have faced each other infrequently playing in the regular season just three times but Tennessee took two of three from Auburn in both 2022 and 2024 Butch Thompson has Auburn at 7-5 against Tennessee since Vitello took over in 2018 Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of Auburn's road trip was what it did on the mound and most of it was borne of its three starters Auburn's staff logged a 2.52 ERA against Tennessee giving up just two home runs to one of two SEC offenses that has already logged 100 long balls this year That began with Sam Dutton posting another quality start He gave up a run on four hits while striking out eight batters Cam Tilly got his second career start in Game Two But midweek starter Christian Chatterton was the to-be-announced starter in the series finale and he maintained what he's done against lesser foes of late tossing three scoreless innings and giving up just two hits The relief appearances show the Tigers could piece some other pitchers into their rotation striking out six batters across 3⅓ innings who didn't start for the first time this season over the weekend sealed the rubber match with a four-inning appearance He gave up one run on two hits while logging five strikeouts Auburn's touted freshman class continues to see contributors He earned SEC Player of the Week honors following the series win over Mississippi State leading the league with nine hits during a four-game stretch The second baseman hit .417 against Tennessee and he accounted for four of Auburn's 18 runs in the series Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at acole@gannett.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter 4vs1Auburn Buckeyes Beat Auburn 4-1, Advance to Super Regionals5/4/2025 4:50:00 PM | Men's Tennis Receive the Latest News & Promotions You have reached ESPN's Australian edition. Stay on current site or go to US version playAuburn's Chad Baker-Mazara drills 3 to end 1st half (0:29)Chad Baker-Mazara makes a 3-pointer at the buzzer to reduce Auburn's deficit heading into halftime Auburn's Chad Baker-Mazara who started 34 games during the Tigers' run to the Final Four announced Thursday that he's entering the transfer portal has one year of eligibility left due to the NCAA's temporary waiver allowing student-athletes who previously competed at a non-NCAA school -- junior college or NAIA essentially -- to play a fourth season at an NCAA school in 2025-26 A 6-foot-7 wing, Baker-Mazara spent the last two seasons at Auburn after playing one season at Northwest Florida State. He previously played at San Diego State and Duquesne with his freshman season for the Dukes not counting toward his eligibility due to the NCAA's COVID waiver for 2020-21 part of Auburn's success over the past couple of seasons 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists this past season He showed the ability to get hot from the perimeter scoring 18 points against Florida in the national semifinal and going for 22 points in back-to-back games against Ole Miss and Kentucky toward the end of the regular season Pearl has made a couple of splashes in the transfer portal, adding Keyshawn Hall (UCF) and KeShawn Murphy (Mississippi State). Ohio State tops Auburn 4-1 to advance to NCAA men's tennis super regionalColumbus DispatchOhio State defeated Auburn 4-1 on May 4 in the second round of the NCAA men's tennis tournament at the Auer Tennis Complex. The sixth-ranked Buckeyes (28-3) advanced to the NCAA round of 16 for the 19th consecutive season. Auburn (20-11) won the doubles point. Then the Buckeyes got singles wins from Preston Stearns, Bryce Nakashima, Alexander Bernard and Aidan Kim. Ohio State will host the super regional round and will face No. 12 Mississippi State at noon May 10. The Buckeyes beat Mississippi State 4-1 last year to advance to the NCAA quarterfinals. to claim the series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium Sunday afternoon 13-11 SEC) fell in extra innings in the resumption of game two earlier in the day but bounced back to win their sixth SEC series this season The Tigers have won eight of their last 10 conference series dating back to last season and are the only team in the league to accomplish the feat “We competed like we won all three, if I can keep them away from the result,” head coach Butch Thompson said it just seems like every challenge that can come our way we’ve had it and have always just said ‘good’ If we just continue to keep our head down we can gain something from two really well played games.” After Chatterton turned in 3.0 scoreless innings in his second start of the week Fisher made his first relief appearance of the season and recorded the final 12 outs of the game to earn his first save “I had a feeling I’d go in this game,” Fisher said just try to throw everything as hard as I could in the strike zone but this game I just felt free and that I could throw the ball wherever I wanted to.” Offensively, the Tigers used big innings with a four-run third and three-run fifth to cruise to the series-clinching win. Four players in the lineup collected multiple hits, while Lucas Steele drove in a game-high three runs “It’s huge,” Steele said of the production up and down the lineup “A lineup is put together for a specific purpose We’re doing a great job working as a team and getting guys on so other guys can knock them in who turned in 6.0 scoreless innings against Samford Tuesday faced one batter over the minimum in his 3.0 innings of work and has now not allowed an earned run in his last 20.1 innings pitched The freshman worked a clean first inning before a leadoff single in the second was erased on a lineout double play Chatterton retired Tennessee in order with a pair of strikeouts in the third and turned in over to Fisher making his first relief appearance of the season in the fourth Fisher struck out designated hitter Levi Clark looking to strand a pair of runners in scoring position and maintain a 4-0 lead The Tigers added three more runs on three hits and three walks. Steele and Eric Guevara drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks with one out and Fralick came through with a two-out single to right field to extend the lead to seven 14-10 SEC) got on the scoreboard with a solo home run with one out in the fifth After entering the weekend with 100 home runs on the season it marked just the team’s second solo home run of the series Auburn answered Tennessee’s run with a RBI single from Steele in the seventh marking his third RBI of the game to cap off the scoring in the contest Fisher shook off the solo shot in the fifth and retired seven of the last nine batters he faced The game ended with Rembert snagging a softly-hit lineout at second and firing to first to double off the baserunner game two was resumed from Saturday with the score tied Auburn’s defense made two potential game-saving plays in the bottom of the 10th. Bub Terrell threw out a runner trying to go from first to third on a single to left for the first out and Snow made a diving stab and throw from third base to end the inning with a runner stranded in scoring position Bristol Carter hit a two-out double in the top of the 11th and Tennessee intentionally walked Rembert Carter stole third and attempted to steal home on a 2-2 count but was out at the plate to end the inning The Volunteers started the bottom of the inning with back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt moved them both into scoring position Auburn intentionally walked Levi Clark to load the bases and pinch-hitter Chris Newsome hit a walk-off single past a drawn in infield to win the game and even the series The Tigers return home for final exams next week before hosting South Carolina (26-22 5-18 SEC) in the final home weekend of the regular season Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here A former Auburn High School resource officer has lost his bid to overturn his convictions on multiple felony charges who pled guilty in Cayuga County Court on September 26 to charges including Sexual Abuse in the First Degree and Disseminating Indecent Material to Minors in the First Degree as a Sexually Motivated Felony saw his convictions unanimously affirmed by the Appellate Division according to a release from the Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office Morrissey admitted that while working at Auburn High School he sexually abused a 15-year-old student and engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the victim through electronic communications the court sentenced him to two years in prison followed by ten years of post-release supervision The appellate court rejected all of Morrissey’s legal challenges maintaining both his conviction and sentence Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher T Valdina defended the case on behalf of the People of the State of New York Get the latest headlines delivered to your inbox each morning. Sign up for our Morning Edition to start your day. FL1 on the Go! Download the free FingerLakes1.com App for iOS (iPhone, iPad) FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected] Following a heartbreaking loss in eleven innings just a few hours prior the Tigers responded in a big way posting eight runs on ten hits to clinch their sixth SEC series win of the season and first over the Volunteers since 2019.  if I can keep them away from the result,” said Auburn Head Coach Butch Thompson the orange and blue looked to pounce in the top of the third and Chris Rembert set the table for Auburn and Lucas Steele did their jobs and brought them all home giving the Tigers a crucial 4-0 lead in a seven-inning game.  freshman Christian Chatterton was outstanding going three scoreless innings and allowing just two hits He picked up his fourth win of the year.  Auburn had the bases loaded once again and looked to capitalize The Tigers tacked on three runs to extend their lead to 7-0 Tennessee Head Coach Tony Vitello was ejected from the ballgame Rembert and Belyeu led the way at the plate for Auburn going a combined four-for-eight setting up all of Auburn’s scoring threats.  had a great bounce-back start after last weekend giving up just one run in four innings of work The Tigers will head home to take on South Carolina in the final home series of the season First pitch is set for Thursday night at 7:00 p.m The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees But you can donate to support The Plainsman Rory is a freshman majoring in journalism sports production He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025 You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @RorymGarvin Police are appealing for information from the public after a deliberately lit fire damaged a business in Auburn this morning Emergency services were called to Mary Street shortly before 4am (Saturday 3 May 2025) and found a shopfront alight Officers attached to Auburn Police Area Command established a perimeter as Fire and Rescue NSW extinguished the fire More than 80 residents from adjacent homes were evacuated as a precaution until the scene was rendered safe No injuries have been reported at this time Police established a crime scene and have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident they are appealing for information about a dark-coloured vehicle seen leaving the scene shortly before the arrival of emergency services Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au Information is managed on a confidential basis The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages playAuburn ball movement finds open Tahaad Pettiford for 3 (0:16)Auburn's passing leads to an open 3-pointer from Tahaad Pettiford in the corner Auburn freshman Tahaad Pettiford will declare for the 2025 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility "I'm looking for an NBA team that values my skill set and sees my long-term potential," Pettiford told ESPN "The right fit and organization that values me I'll sit down with my family and representation and decide whether to stay in the draft." "I couldn't have asked for a better freshman season who averaged 11.6 points and 3.0 assists in 22.9 minutes as a freshman for Auburn this season 39 prospect in ESPN's NBA draft rankings. Kevin C Cox/Getty ImagesThe 19-year-old Pettiford's shot creation shotmaking prowess and scoring instincts have stood out to NBA scouts with several signature outings as he stepped up in clutch moments against some of the best teams Auburn faced Pettiford ranked first on the team in assists and third in scoring despite finishing sixth in minutes played helping him carve out a strong role on a deep veteran Auburn squad that started five players aged 22 to 25 "That's why I came to Auburn," Pettiford said "My coaches and teammates' trust and confidence in me allowed me to thrive Coach [Bruce] Pearl sees things in me and lets me be myself." Should Pettiford elect to return for his sophomore season he will likely be a leading player for the Tigers which had 10 seniors on their roster this season Pettiford has until May 28 to decide whether to withdraw his name from the draft to remain NCAA-eligible next season He said he will prepare for the combine and the NBA draft in Santa Barbara with his childhood friend, Dylan Harper of Rutgers The NBA combine will be held in Chicago from May 11 to May 18 Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com a private scouting and analytics service utilized by NBA playJohni Broome throws it up to Dylan Cardwell for beautiful alley-oop jam (0:16)Dylan Cardwell gets the alley-oop dunk for Auburn off a heads-up-pass from Johni Broome vs SAN ANTONIO -- Soon after the buzzer sounded in the national semifinal, Auburn star big man Johni Broome slumped over a few feet from the baseline his hands etched into his thighs and head slung toward the floor As his teammates waded toward the postgame handshake line, Broome stood frozen with the grief from Auburn's 79-73 loss to Florida on Saturday at the Alamodome After a second half full of missed opportunities that left Broome scoreless for the game's final 15 minutes Broome's resplendent career and the dream of winning the school's first men's basketball title ended probably best year of my life," Broome said speaking barely above a whisper in the Auburn locker room "I wanted to win the national championship Broome wore a black hoodie pulled over his forehead and his cracked red eyes looked down at the locker room floor He was barely audible as he tried to put the game and season into context Broome went scoreless for the game's final 15 minutes and 12 seconds after dominating much of the first half He closed the game's final 15 minutes with three missed free throws two misses from the field and three turnovers "I feel like we got the looks that we wanted to get," he said "I wasn't able to capitalize and finish them." he looked overcome with exhaustion and emotion the coaches and players took credit for the physical toll they inflicted on Broome and we could see by that 10-minute mark in the second half he was really starting to get fatigued," Florida associate head coach Carlin Hartman said It was a stark difference from the first half Broome had 12 points at halftime and Florida did a poor job moving him from his desired spots The Auburn staff was optimistic at halftime about how sharp he looked "That was about as much pop and pace that he's played with in a long time," Auburn assistant coach Steven Pearl said if not one of the best players in all college basketball." Pearl then pointed out that a different level of energy is required to handle the waves of Florida big men Florida assistant John Andrzejek credited Hartman for a fiery halftime speech that included challenging Chinyelu whom Broome took advantage of in the first half and part of that included a deep analysis of the risk-reward of not doubling Broome Broome spent parts of the first half methodically pounding the ball into the paint None of his shots were from more than eight feet The Gators needed to make sure he couldn't establish himself And Andrzejek stressed that the Gators force Broome to shoot over his left shoulder Hartman's halftime motivational speech to the Gators' big men lasted about three minutes was pockmarked with some colorful language and ended with a simple theme -- it's OK to lose Broome took a hard fall against Michigan State on Sunday and didn't practice this week until Thursday because of an injured elbow Broome's right elbow was padded and then wrapped in a sleeve that stretched from his right bicep to his wrist "Our medical staff did an unbelievable job this week of just making sure that he was as comfortable as he possibly could," Pearl said played through that contact and was still able to have a really effective game." And when Broome's space collapsed and his energy zapped The Tigers had 12 second-half turnovers -- the Florida coaching staff counted 20 second-half deflections -- and Auburn had just eight second-half paint points after 26 in the first half The second-half performance left a pall over the Auburn locker room as Broome whispered answers to the final questions he received after the loss I left my impact on what I've done here," he said "I [thank] God for allowing me to come here and be able to make an impact." For information directly relating to bushfires please call the Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 679 737 or visit the NSW Rural Fire Service Website here. 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View on X [external link] Fire and Rescue NSW acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders playWalter Clayton Jr.'s late 3s propel Florida to the Final Four (0:35)Florida's Walter Clayton Jr hits a pair of clutch 3-pointers late to send the Gators to the Final Four A showdown of the top two teams from the best conference in men's college basketball And a battle between the country's best defense and a historically efficient offense There's a reason it's all chalk on the San Antonio River Walk for the March Madness finale -- and our experts are here to break down how each team can win its Final Four matchup Read their analysis for Florida vs. Auburn and Duke vs. Houston including fatal flaws and players each semifinalist will need to step up in the final stages of the 2025 NCAA tournament For more on tonight's action, see our experts' picks for the final three games of the 2024-25 college basketball season the Gators have lost only once: 88-83 at Georgia on Feb They have encountered more trouble than anticipated in recent weeks but we've learned you can never assume they're out of a game before it's over Down late against back-to-back national champion UConn Alex Condon sustaining an ankle injury against Maryland in the Sweet 16 They held on until the 6-foot-11 standout returned to close out the double-digit victory And we all watched the furious comeback from a 10-point deficit in the final minutes against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight The Gators have five wins against top-20 KenPom teams by 14 or more points in March and refuse to quit against extreme adversity The player who needs to step up: Alex Condon After his shaky defensive effort against Texas Tech star Darrion Williams Condon has to be a better defensive player in space against Auburn The Tigers are stacked with versatile talents at 6-7 or taller who are comfortable on the perimeter and in the post they will try to draw Condon outside then attempt to attack him off the dribble to get to the rim and score Williams was excellent whenever Condon ended up in those scenarios and Florida has a fleet of offensive options The Gators don't need every player on their roster to score 15 points but they will need 6-11 Condon to play excellent defense to advance to the title game Potential fatal flaw: A strength could also be Florida's potential flaw: its comfort level in adversity The Gators often execute when down -- they overcame a four-minute scoring drought in the second half of their second-round win over UConn and a 10-point deficit in the final six minutes against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight -- but those scenarios are dicier in the Final Four which is riskier at this stage than in December against North Carolina (allowed the Tar Heels to take the lead after being up 17 points) or in January against South Carolina (overcame a 14-point second-half deficit to win by one point) Even if Auburn forces Florida to switch a lot of matchups and a Gators guard ends up on Broome Johni Broome had 18 points in Auburn's February loss to Florida. Todd Kirkland/Getty ImagesFlorida will win if: The Gators play the way they have for the past month They have made 58% of their shots inside the arc and 38% of their 3-point attempts since March They have also had the best offense in America over that stretch They know how to pummel opponents and can do it from every spot on the floor And they have a unique combination of experience and talent they have length that few teams can match and are 10th in adjusted defensive efficiency Yes, Alabama State had a brief lead over the Tigers in the first round, but the Tigers ultimately won by 20. They went on to beat a good Creighton team by 12 in the second round and hold Michigan standout Danny Wolf scoreless for the final 13 minutes of their Sweet 16 win Then they overcame Broome's midgame injury to hand Michigan State its first NCAA tournament loss to an SEC team under Tom Izzo The player who needs to step up: Chad Baker-Mazara The 6-7 standout has battled through hip and shoulder injuries in recent weeks but the Tigers will need the best version of the All-SEC third-team selection to produce in the final stage of the season He's an essential player on both ends of the floor for the Tigers who have won with star power (see: Broome) and depth Baker-Mazara has registered double figures just once since March 4 and doesn't look like he's 100% but Auburn will need everything he can give to avenge the February loss to one of the hottest teams in the country Potential fatal flaw: Shots from 3 have not been falling They are talented at every position on the floor but they have gone cold from beyond the arc They have made just 31% of their 3-point attempts in four NCAA tournament games but now they will face a Florida team that went 13-for-33 (39.4%) from 3 against them in February when the Tigers were just 7-for-22 (31.8%) Another cold night could lead to Auburn's elimination and not allow him to hit the big shots that shift the momentum The Tigers also can't be afraid to slow the game down or call an early timeout to limit the Gators' opportunities to get their offense rolling play0:35Houston takes down Tennessee to reach 7th Final FourTennessee lets the clock run down as Houston celebrates reaching its seventh Final Four in program history Auburn will win if: The Tigers limit Clayton's impact on the outcome Auburn has multiple defenders it can use to corral the Florida star -- and will need all of them Saturday The NCAA tournament has been a showcase for the All-America guard but the Gators are a significantly different team when he has a tough night If the Tigers can make it difficult for him they will have a chance against a team that scored 90 points against them in February Coach Bruce Pearl needs a game plan that doesn't allow Clayton to do whatever he wants on the court but the Blue Devils have lived up to every expectation we had of them on Selection Sunday If you were concerned they inflated their numbers due to mediocre ACC competition They put forth staggeringly efficient offensive performances in the second round against Baylor and in the Sweet 16 against Arizona 1 scoring offense -- to 65 points and below 0.90 points per possession in the Elite Eight That was only the second time in two seasons the Crimson Tide failed to reach that per-possession threshold One thing we did learn was that the moment hasn't been too big for Kon Knueppel who averaged 20.5 points and 4.0 assists with terrific performances in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight The player who needs to step up: Tyrese Proctor It needs to be a big night for Proctor. One would surmise Houston's defense will focus on limiting Cooper Flagg and Knueppel which could give Proctor some shotmaking opportunities He has been in terrific form over the past few weeks making 20 3s in a three-game stretch against Louisville he went for 17 points on 10 shots against Alabama He shoots better than 41% from 3-point range and has been playing with confidence His perimeter shooting could be needed to loosen up the Houston defense Tyrese Proctor had 17 points in the Elite Eight win over Alabama. AP Photo/Julia Demaree NikhinsonPotential fatal flaw: Relative youth The Blue Devils are elite at both ends of the floor possessing the most efficient offense in the history of the KenPom database and a top-five defense to go with it rebound and block shots (all at an elite level of course) -- can a moment really be too big for him What will be key for Duke's offense if Houston can limit the Blue Devils' dribble penetration and the Cougars excel at preventing opponents from attacking the rim off the bounce has four players on the floor at all times who can put pressure on the defense forcing them into rotations and to collapse in the paint -- before either finishing at the rim kicking it out to a shooter or throwing a lob to Maluach Can the Blue Devils continue to do that against Houston's defense One area where Houston's defense is potentially vulnerable is behind the arc: The Cougars allow teams to shoot 3s ranking 12th in the Big 12 in 3-point attempt rate defensively And the Blue Devils are capable of taking advantage of that They took nearly 45% of their field goal attempts from 3-point range in ACC play and made nearly 40% of those attempts Duke will win if: The Blue Devils stay the course If they play their best game (or even 90%) there's not a team in the country that can beat them they need to continue to do what got them to this point It will be hard to beat Houston consistently with dribble penetration but they have to make shots from the perimeter but their rim protection takes a hit when he's on the bench so they will need to stay out of foul trouble And against Houston's elite offensive rebounding they also need to crash the defensive glass especially after showing some potential vulnerabilities against Baylor and Arizona Houston's offense had fallen flat in big moments it came against Villanova in the Elite Eight they scored only 51 points in a Sweet 16 loss to Duke Houston scored at least 1.17 points per possession in three of four games still scoring 1.08 in its worst offensive performance of the Dance while making an average of nine 3s per game We've been saying all season that this is the best offensive team Kelvin Sampson has had in Houston and the Cougars are proving us right so far The player who needs to step up: J'Wan Roberts Roberts was playing like a legitimate All-American at the midway point of the season Over an eight-game stretch between mid-January and early February Roberts averaged 16.9 points and 6.5 rebounds while playing more than 35 minutes per game averaging 8.8 points and 5.8 rebounds over the past 13 games (He missed two games in the Big 12 tournament with an ankle injury.) He needs to be at his best at both ends of the floor Saturday Roberts has also picked up four fouls in two of his past three games playing just 16 minutes against Tennessee due to foul trouble It would be a huge lift for Houston if he can cause Khaman Maluach some issues early This is J'Wan Roberts' second trip to the Final Four with Houston. AP Photo/Michael ConroyPotential fatal flaw: It's not as easy to pinpoint as it was the past few years Houston is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country after not ranking in the top 110 nationally in that category since 2018 it's the Cougars' best offense (by far) since Sampson took over in 2014 First is the foul disparity: Houston ranks No 322 nationally in free throw attempts per game while ranking in the 200s in defensive free throw rate Purdue and Tennessee shot more free throws than Houston The second is Houston's propensity to allow 3-point attempts: The Cougars contest 3s All four opponents in the NCAA tournament have attempted at least 20 3s one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country How can the country's best defense slow the most efficient offense in the KenPom era (i.e. Houston is going to have to use its physicality and ball pressure to take Duke out of its rhythm When the Blue Devils are swinging the ball around and attacking the rim off the bounce kicking it out to their quartet of perimeter shooters But the Cougars are elite at keeping teams away from the rim allowing just 21.8 points in the paint per game while also ranking in the top five nationally in block percentage Duke also hasn't faced a team in the NCAA tournament that can turn teams over like Houston is capable of doing The Blue Devils had some issues with transition defense against Arizona and Alabama -- although that hasn't been a seasonlong problem -- and the Cougars could find success going that route Houston makes offenses uncomfortable like no other team in the country can Houston will win if: The Cougars' physicality and experience win out They will look to throw Duke off its game from the opening tip they pressure the ball and they attack the offensive glass Everything is designed to make opponents uncomfortable Duke hasn't seen anything like it in the NCAA tournament -- or all season The Blue Devils have been able to play with so much freedom on the offensive end in their past few games; can Houston rattle them early There's also the experience factor: Houston is one of the oldest teams in the country, filled with players who have played a lot of NCAA tournament games. L.J. Cryer won a national championship Sampson has coached in the semifinals before Could that make a difference at some point Saturday Lucas Steele celebrates his home run with his teammates during tonight's game on March 18 A walk-off single that snuck under the glove of a diving Deric Fabian gave the Volunteers a 5-4 extra-inning victory evening up the three-game series after an overnight rain delay Game two between Auburn and Tennessee was a phenomenal back-and-forth battle filled with impressive defensive putouts and an untimely weather delay to halt play after regulation before continuing Sunday morning Auburn’s bats got off to a hot start in the top half of the first inning to grab the early lead Junior stars Ike Irish and Lucas Steele both drove in runs in the opening frame and righty pitcher Cam Tilly was able to shut down the Volunteers in the home half of the inning to hold a 2-0 lead early Tilly’s outing would not last long though as a two-run third inning from the Volunteers forced Butch Thompson’s hand and Carson Myers entered the game in relief with the contest all square at two runs apiece Irish delivered again in a big way in the top of the fifth inning as he was able to create chaos on the base paths by stealing two bases and eventually crossing the plate on a wild pitch to retake the lead for Auburn Myers found himself in a daunting position after allowing back-to-back base hits as the Vols had runners on first and second with just one out The southpaw pitcher then struck out the next two batters and successfully escaped the jam while holding to a one-run lead Tennessee threatened again in the following inning as the Volunteers had a runner on second base with one out but Myers was able to strike out the next batter to come within one out of getting through six innings Myers then allowed a single to right field but an extraordinary putout from Irish at the plate led Myers and the Tigers to end the inning unscathed once again The Volunteers' bats were not going down without another fight though as in the seventh inning two singles to lead off the inning led to Myers' exit John Armstrong entered in relief and was able to hold Tennessee to just one run but the game was now tied at three as the eighth inning was set to begin which set up the Volunteers' offense to take the lead before heading into the final inning of regulation Butch Thompson made another pitching change and Parker Carlson looked to record the final out of the inning and was able to strike out the first batter he faced in three pitches to send the Tigers into the final inning A leadoff double by Eric Guevara set up a promising attempt to retake the lead for Auburn and the Tigers offense capitalized on this with a fantastic hit and run executed by Chase Fralick After getting the first out in the bottom of the inning Dalton Bargo hit a solo home run to left field to send the game into extra innings the game was then suspended until Sunday morning Both teams were shut down in the first inning of extras Tennessee was threatening to walk off the Tigers with back-to-back singles to start the inning A sacrifice bunt and intentional walk loaded the bases with just one out and the winning run on third base Freshman Chris Newstrom came up to bat and hit a single underneath the glove of a diving Deric Fabian’s glove to drive in the winning run for the Volunteers.  Auburn will get set for the rubber match against Tennessee as the Tigers will look to claim the series win in game three The series finale is scheduled for 1:30 p.m You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @willdembo Moore Field as Auburn softball (32-21) took down NC State (25-29) 8-0 to wrap up the regular season The Tigers used another shutdown pitching performance this time from Haley Rainey (7-4) who shined on Senior Day with a one-hit shutout She gave up one double and a pair of walks going the distance for the first time this season Four of Auburn’s last five wins have all come via shutouts Three of the five have been one-hit efforts from the Tiger pitching staff “NC State’s strength is its offense,” said co-head coach Chris Malveaux she can be a big part of what we need to do down the stretch It was great to see Haley grit it out today She had great command and was able to bounce back from some little hiccups.”  The Tigers tallied seven hits on Sunday and scored four runs in the sixth to pick up the run-rule win. Peralta went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and two RBI. Abbey Smith added a two-run single in the sixth. Icess Tresvik set the Senior Day tone with a solo home run in the second Tresvik led off the second inning with her 11th home run of the season to get the Tigers on the board. Amelia Lech drew a one-out walk and worked her way to third before scoring on a Rose Roach single up the middle to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead Auburn added a run in the third as Peralta singled up the middle and scored on a KK McCrary double The fourth frame saw Roach draw a walk before swiping second to move into scoring position NC State elected to go for the lead out on a groundball back to the circle but a Wolfpack error allowed Roach to score and give Auburn a 4-0 lead That held until the sixth as the Tigers loaded the bases with a pair of walks and an Aubrie Lisenby single. Smith bounced a ball back up the middle for a base hit, driving in two, ahead of Peralta’s game-clinching, two-run double. Auburn turns its attention to the postseason as the Tigers open the 2025 SEC Tournament on Tuesday in Athens, Georgia. The (15) Tigers will face (10) Alabama in the third game of the opening round. First pitch will be approximately 6 p.m. CT but may be delayed due to games played prior. All three games of Tuesday’s opening round will be televised on the SEC Network. AUBURN, Maine (WGME) -- The Auburn Police Department says three teens were arrested as part of an armed robbery on Lake Street early Sunday morning. At around 4:40 a.m., a 17-year-old boy reportedly told police he had been threatened with a gun and knife and robbed of his clothing, shoes, and more. The boy reportedly told police he ran from those who robbed him, being chased with the weapons from the apartment building where it happened. When police got there, they reportedly surrounded the building, spotting the teens later charged with robbery on the second floor. Because the teens were armed, Auburn Police say they called backup from the Maine State Police Tactical Team and other local authorities. After a standoff lasting "several hours," nine people aged 13 to 21 left the building, leaving only one 17-year-old boy with a gun who refused to leave. A search warrant was reportedly obtained, and the tactical team went into the apartment. The 17-year-old allegedly jumped from the second-story window and was arrested. Police say the entire incident lasted almost 10 hours. Three teens have been charged with the following: Criminal Threatening with a Dangerous Weapon (Class C) Two of the teens were reportedly on juvenile probation and house arrest, respectively. Police say all three were taken to Long Creek Youth Development Center. The rest were reportedly questioned and not charged. The investigation is ongoing, and more charges may follow. The Auburn Police Department says they'd like to thank "Lewiston Police Department, the Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office, the Mechanic Falls Police Department, and the Maine State Police for their assistance. Most importantly, we thank the residents of the Lake Street neighborhood for their patience and understanding during this incident." but faltered in singles to drop the match by a 4-1 score and bow out of the NCAA Championship on Sunday afternoon at the Ty Tucker Tennis Center in Columbus The match began on the outdoor courts at the Auer Tennis Complex but the match was suspended due to rain and moved indoors prior to singles With the match tied at three on court three, Auburn’s Jake Kennedy and Hamza Nasridinov earned a crutial break in the match to take a 4-3 lead and went on to hold serve and win 6-4 to secure the doubles point for the Tigers forcing the match to be suspended and moved to the indoor courts of the Ty Tucker Tennis Center Auburn claims the doubles point! ☝️#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/e2SZYx1O11 the Buckeyes had all the momentum with an opening set win on all six singles courts Ohio State turned two of those opening set victories into straight set wins at the No The Tigers showed life on the remaining three courts, as Nolan forced a third set against Aidan Kim, who is ranked No. 11 in the nation in singles, by winning his second set 6-3. After dropping his opening set in a tiebreaker, Alex Frusina went back-and-forth in his second set against Alexander Bernard leading to a tie at five games each before Bernard claimed each of the next two games to claim the tight win and give the Buckeyes a 3-1 advantage On court three, Auburn’s Billy Blaydes won a tiebreaker in his second set for force a third set against No Nasridinov overcame an early 2-0 deficit in his second set to also force a tiebreaker in his match on court four Kim jumped out to an early lead in the decisive third set to win the match 6-3 which clinched the match victory and the NCAA Regional title for Ohio State Auburn finished its 2025 campaign with a 20-11 overall record The Tigers earned 20 match wins for the 10th time in program history and reached the second round of the NCAA Championship for the second consecutive season Time of match: 3:31; Order of finish: Doubles: 1,3; Singles: 6,5,2,1; Official: Julio Colon Australian and New Zealand troops landed on the shores of Gallipoli in a moment that would go on to define the character of our nation would be repeated just a few decades later Allan was just thirteen years old when World War II began He would go on to serve in Darwin in the Air Force as ground crew looking after the equipment and it was time to serve my country,” Allan said Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) took pause throughout the week at each hospital executives and members of the public stood side-by-side to honour the occasion at the flagship event at Auburn Hospital You can see the pictures from those events here Throughout the one hundred Anzac days for Allan he says the reason to commemorate is as important as ever “Anzac Day is about honouring and remembering mates that were lost in service or no longer with us,” Allan said Bugler William Shaw played The Rouse and The Last Post at the Auburn ceremony he was around 13 years old when he first began playing the historic pieces I can see it means a lot to all the people who attend,” William said Studying Jazz at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music William says the role of music in remembrance is an incredible connection to the past “The Last Post was made back to represent the final day of war,” William said  “Playing that really resonates at a service like this It’s being connected to those people in the past and carrying on their traditions to show that we won’t forget them,” William said William also has his own connection to the Anzac tradition with his maternal great-grandfather giving his life in World War II “Anzac Day is a very good way to acknowledge all of the people that died for us in the war,” William said Cumberland RSL representative James Batkin served in the Citizen Military Force and read the Ode of Remembrance.  “Anzac Day means to me remembering the soldiers that were killed in the First World War because that’s what it’s about,” James said James’ Uncle served in the First World War and was killed in France With nearly half of WSLHD residents born in other countries James says Anzac Day is a day for everyone to commemorate regardless of their birth country “I think everyone has a knowledge of Anzac Day and what happened because it was the world was involved in it really,” James said 17 Auburn will play for a chance to punch its ticket to the 2025 NCAA Championship this week at the NCAA Gold Canyon Regional at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club in Gold Canyon The 54-hole event will be played Monday through Wednesday and the top five teams in the 12-team field will advance “I think that if we play our normal game and play solid golf, we will have a chance to win,” said Auburn head coach Melissa Luellen “The girls have put the SEC Championship performance behind them Their attitudes and work ethic have been turned up a notch We’re very excited to have the opportunity.” making their 30th regional appearance in program history At the SEC Championship, Auburn was led by sophomore Anna Davis and redshirt junior Carys Worby who both finished the stroke play portion of the event in a tie for 13th place Davis received first team All-SEC honors for her impressive season that included two individual titles The Auburn sophomore also leads the Tigers with a 70.27 scoring average this season Worby has also played a pivotal role in the Tigers’ lineup this season participating in 10 tournaments and finishing inside the individual top 20 four times Her opening round 66 (-4) at the SEC Championship marked a career low The Auburn lineup for the regional will feature Davis, Katie Cranson, Worby, SEC All-Freshman team selection Balma Dávalos and Rachel Gourley. Freshman Anne Fernandez will be available for substitution The Tigers will begin the event at 10 a.m. CT from the first tee paired with players from Oregon and host school Arizona State. Live scoring of the NCAA Gold Canyon Regional will be available at scoreboard.clippd.com Substitute: Anne Fernandez Broome returned to Sunday's game after being injured midway through the second half but spent this week in rehab, preparing for his team's rematch against Florida On Thursday he had a sleeve on his right elbow as he spoke with reporters but he said he's not concerned about his availability against the Gators who beat the Tigers 90-81 on Auburn's home floor on Feb "I did a lot with my elbow [this week]," Broome said on Thursday in San Antonio who returned to practice Thursday for the first time since he suffered the injury will make a difference against any opponent I'm glad he feels that way [about being 100 percent] Today was the first day he moved and practiced so I was glad to see him," Pearl said Thursday and the one thing Johni Broome showed in this NCAA tournament is that there was another level Everybody keeps watching him and wondering 'When is he going to fizzle When is he going to not show up?' And he just and Florida's bigs are a little bigger and a little bit more athletic than Michigan State's or Michigan's bigs but he was the MVP of the South Region and we rode him hard and we're going to ride him hard again on Saturday." Broome suffered the injury as he tried to block Michigan State forward Frankie Fidler's shot in Auburn's 70-64 win Broome briefly left the court to see trainers in the locker room but returned after the team's medical staff said he had not suffered any major damage That's good news for a team that hopes the SEC Player of the Year will be at full strength Saturday "He's been doing a great job of trying to get it better and staying in the training room," Auburn standout Miles Kelly said Thursday "But he's definitely going to be ready for Saturday." playDenver Jones hits 'night-night' celly after clutch and-1 (0:31)Auburn's Denver Jones drives for a tough and-1 to extend the Tigers' lead and hits the "night-night" celebration LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Auburn freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford drove down the middle of the defense hit a floater and waved goodbye to nobody in particular at Rupp Arena on Saturday night In the moment, it was a salutation that suggested the top-seeded Tigers were about to knock 9-seed Creighton out of the NCAA tournament, an outcome finalized a few minutes later in an 82-70 victory in a second-round matchup But Pettiford's wave could be redirected toward all the knocks Auburn has faced in recent weeks and years The Tigers entered this year's tourney as the No 1 overall seed but had lost three of four games entering the postseason They had a relatively uninspiring performance against 16-seed Alabama State on Thursday and trailed Creighton at halftime Saturday But a second half that featured a strong defensive showing and Pettiford's burst off the bench meant Auburn had a rebuttal for the questions surrounding the team "We never really listened to what folks had to say about us," senior forward Johni Broome said we'll be able to make a run and if we played how we played [Thursday] night we're going to make it out of the first [weekend]." Creighton (25-11) led by two at halftime and was in the game until Auburn went on a massive run Auburn scored 20 of the game's 26 points to open a 14-point lead with 6:20 left As much as Auburn was clicking offensively the defense clamped down in the second half In the opening 20 minutes, Creighton senior guard Steven Ashworth and freshman forward Jackson McAndrew combined for 23 of the Bluejays' 37 points Creighton was 9-of-14 shooting behind the 3-point arc Auburn took away easy looks on the perimeter Tigers coach Bruce Pearl said the activity of the team's big men on Creighton's shooters and an uptick in physicality helped slow the Bluejays "I would say fatigue could have been a factor," Pearl said "in the sense that the way we guard makes Creighton work really hard to get open and get looks The Tigers turn their attention to 5-seed Michigan in the South Regional in Atlanta For Auburn senior Dylan Cardwell this season's run and the breakthrough into the second round was years in the making Cardwell could point across the locker room at those who were on the roster for the previous March shortcomings Cardwell said this year's group set the mark for aiming higher than previous years we were content with the SEC tournament championship," Cardwell told ESPN The same couldn't be said after Saturday's win over Creighton Pettiford was gently teased by Broome and Jones for not wishing his mom a happy birthday until the end of their news conference Cardwell could barely get through a couple of sentences before laughing at his teammates in the locker room It was a team enjoying some relief after finally shaking off old pitfalls "I hope it gives us one of those moments where we just get hot and it propels us to a nice run." ATLANTA -- As the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, Auburn is, not surprisingly, a minus-4.5-point favorite against Michigan State in their Elite Eight matchup Sunday But Auburn coach Bruce Pearl doesn't believe the odds tell the true story of the game suggesting Michigan State and its historically successful program should be the real favorite "Most of our guys are guys that were mid-majors or junior college or Division II," Pearl said Saturday "I'm not going to let Michigan State play the underdog card even though we're a No We know what we're trying to go up against and we know the uphill battle that it is when you play against a Hall of Fame coach and He also noted Tom Izzo's perfect record (10-0) against SEC teams in the NCAA tournament He said he and Pearl have been friends for years but he never gets caught up in the odds because anything can happen to a team I've been a 2-seed that's been beaten by a 15-seed," Izzo said "I've been a 1-seed that hasn't gotten out of the first weekend This season, Pearl's team was ranked No. 1 for nearly three months after a 90-day stretch that featured just one loss. Pearl earned SEC coach of the year honors, Johni Broome was named SEC player of the year and three other Auburn players were honored by the league For Michigan State, Jase Richardson has matured into a projected lottery pick in ESPN's latest 2025 NBA mock draft but the Spartans did not have a player on the all-Big Ten first or second teams this season Izzo said his focus is not on any comparison between the two programs because his team matters most at this stage "The game will be won by the players who play the game." Pearl and Izzo have history against one another Pearl cited his recent wins over Big Ten teams as the result of the collective edge in "athleticism" the SEC has had over the Big Ten in recent years But the last time he faced Izzo in the Elite Eight He said he still blames himself for Tennessee's 70-69 loss to Michigan State in 2010 because of the way he handled the final seconds of the game he said he'll have the same concerns he had about Michigan State 15 years ago "They've always been as athletic as anybody in the backcourt," Pearl said "Michigan State has elite athletes in the backcourt Izzo didn't recall every detail from that 2010 Elite Eight game against Tennessee that capped his 5-seed Michigan State team's run to the Final Four that year He said he's only focused on his current group which will have its hands full against Auburn one of the most experienced teams in the field I prefer that people call me mature instead of old so I'll do the same thing for their 23- and 24-year-olds." Thanks for visiting As the City of Auburn continues wrestling with a significant budget gap officials recently discussed efforts to close it on an episode of Inside Government with Guy Cosentino Initially facing an $8.6 million shortfall the gap had been reduced to $2.8 million in a proposed $50.8 million budget including holding a May 22 public hearing to discuss potentially exceeding the state’s 2% tax cap which would require approval from at least three City Council members and City Comptroller Mary Beth Leeson provided updates during the conversation on Inside Government This content is brought to you by the FingerLakes1.com Team. Support our mission by visiting www.patreon.com/fl1 or learn how you send us your local content here. The Vols pitcher will face an automatic multi-game suspension which is likely to be two games since Doyle was in the game as a relief pitcher at the time of his ejection The suspension for a starting pitcher is four games Auburn's Bristol Carter attempted to steal home on the Vols in 11th inning in a 4-4 game on May 4 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium threw to catcher Cannon Peebles and the Vols got Carter in a rundown Doyle tagged Carter out at home and the pair exchanged words leading to home plate umpire Javerro January jumping between the two The benches partially cleared as players and coaches stepped in to prevent the situation from escalating "I pat myself on the back and everybody else for keeping composure because our best player got thrown out of the game in an elimination situation for exchanging words with a guy," said Vols coach Tony Vitello, who was ejected in the fifth inning of the series finale these guys that are out there between the lines should probably get to say some things to each other and probably should be granted that right," Vitello said FASTBALL: How Liam Doyle's fastball makes Tennessee's ace college baseball's top strikeout pitcher four of their past five and three home series in the same season for the first time in Vitello's eight seasons Doyle is the first Tennessee player ejected since Blake Burke was tossed in the fifth inning against Illinois on March 10 2.39 ERA) would be on schedule to throw the series opener between No 14-10) on May 9 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium if he receives a two-game suspension He would have served the suspension by not pitching in the series finale against Auburn or against Indiana State on May 6 He threw one inning in the series opener May 2 before it was suspended because of inclement weather The Vols went on to lose that game 6-1 when it was completed May 3 The second game of the series was also suspended due to weather and Doyle entered in the 10th inning as a reliever McDonald’s Australia has commenced construction on a new restaurant in Auburn West the new Macca’s is expected to inject over $6 million into the local economy and create over 170 jobs for local construction workers and restaurant employees “We are excited to start construction on a new restaurant in Auburn West and create 100 construction jobs as well as a further 70 operational jobs once the restaurant opens,” Tina Thomas Operations Manager for McDonald’s Auburn West “McDonald’s Auburn West is committed to playing an active role in the local community through providing jobs as well as supporting local causes and groups that are important to our customers and people “We look forward to serving up our great tasting great quality menu once the restaurant opens later this year.” McDonald’s Auburn West will be fitted with modern décor and feature a dual lane ‘drive thru’ McCafé and PlayPlace for customers to enjoy It will also be fully equipped with solar panels a heat recovery water system and LED lighting helping to reduce emissions and energy use in the restaurant The new restaurant is part of McDonald’s national commitment to open 100 new restaurants and remodel half of its existing restaurants by the end of 2025 The news comes after a development application for the new Macca’s and an additional Starbucks was approved by Cumberland Council back in 2023 McDonald’s is currently hiring a variety of crew management and maintenance roles in restaurants across Cumberland For more information or to apply for a role, please visit http://www.careers.mcdonalds.com.au Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards Three teenagers face charges after a 10-hour standoff in Auburn on Sunday Police say a 17-year-old was robbed of clothing and personal belongings by people with a gun and a knife and chased out of his apartment at 133 Lake Street Officers arrived on the scene at about 4:40 am They say they brought in a State Police tactical team and surrounding police agencies to help deal with the suspects who were located on the second floor of the same building They say there was concern after the suspects were threatening violence and were believed to be armed Nine people aged 13 to 21 came out of the building after several hours One of the people being chased reportedly shot a gun twice They say the shooting appears to be an isolated incident the firefighters for the town of Old Town had their work cut out for them as they had… Volunteers say that the move puts the service of more than 120 members across Maine at risk; members who provide vital functions like wildfire management and fuel cost reductions to communities 2 Alabama 94-85 in a big SEC matchup on Saturday Auburn's win at Alabama confirmed the Tigers would keep the No 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball poll for a sixth consecutive week 2 road matchup against the rival Crimson Tide hours after the committee that will choose the 68-team field for the NCAA tournament put Auburn as its No 1 overall seed in its preliminary rankings The two teams to beat the Tigers sit right behind them. Florida and Duke were tied for third last week and the Gators inched past the Blue Devils to break that tie and take the No 2 spot while claiming the remaining first-place vote Of that group, the Red Raiders represented the only change from this past week's set of teams, climbing three spots to replace Purdue for their first top-10 appearance in three years which has lost just twice since the start of 2025 was unranked until cracking the poll at No Michigan had the week's biggest jump among ranked teams 12 after beating Purdue this past week and pushing its win streak to six games 12 teams moved up from their position this past week Memphis took the biggest tumble of the week 22 after its overtime loss at Wichita State ended an eight-game winning streak 25 Louisville was the week's lone new addition returning to the poll for the second time after a two-week stint in January First-year coach Pat Kelsey has guided the program to its first 20-win season since 2019-20 with the Cardinals having lost just once since mid-December 24) fell out of the rankings for the second time this season The Bluejays were ranked for the first four weeks then returned this past week for what turned out to be a one-week stay The Southeastern Conference had a national-best nine teams including three of the top four and five of the top 10 The Big 12 and Big Ten each had five teams though the Big 12 had three in the top 10 while the highest-ranked Big Ten team checked in at 11th followed by the Big East with two and the American Athletic Conference with one He was found possessing a “ghost gun,” which is illegal in Washington state 12-year-old dies after late-night crash in Enumclaw The suspect drove over 103 mph and fled from Federal Way to Auburn Project OverviewBRAND NEW COMPLETED APARTMENTSRead moreMorning Star LocationDevelopment Location20 Northumberland Road, 2 Baths2 ParkingEnquireAUCTION 3 Baths4 Parking539m² EnquireContact Agent 1 Bath1 ParkingEnquireLocal school catchmentsAllPrimarySecondaryPrivateChildcareGovernment School CatchmentAuburn Girls High School0.6 km away where we are privileged to live and operate This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply SAN ANTONIO -- — Walter Clayton Jr Florida now just needs him to deliver one more time Set to face Houston in the title game Monday night at the Alamodome the Gators finally are getting a shot at another national championship after another special performance from their All-America guard Clayton scored 34 points with five 3-pointers giving him the first consecutive 30-point games this deep in the tourney since Larry Bird and Florida beat Southeastern Conference rival Auburn 79-73 in the Final Four on Saturday night The Gators are going to the national championship game for the first time since their titles in 2006 and 2007 He was just flat out the difference,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said No team has against the leading scorer in this NCAA Tournament He is the first player with 30-point games both the the Elite Eight and semifinals since Bird for Indiana State in 1979 “He’s poised, calm and collected, confident in himself. We have that confidence in him,” Gators guard Will Richard said We’re glad everybody else is getting to see him do it in a game.” “I’m just used to seeing him put the ball in the basket “But he’s done what he’s done all year for us settled our team down and made winning plays when we needed it the most.” The first SEC matchup in a Final Four ended with Clayton chasing down a loose rebound and tipping it back inbounds to keep the clock running out on the win. When he started to walk back on the court, teammate Alijah Martin was standing watching him at the end line nodding with a smile to greet him on the court and off the court,” Clayton said After a record 14 SEC teams made this NCAA Tournament seven got to the Sweet 16 before the league made up half the Elite Eight and then this Final Four filled with No Florida will have the chance Monday night to win the SEC’s first title since Kentucky in 2012 the only one since the Gators won in back-to-back seasons They take an 11-game winning streak into the title championship game against Houston a 70-67 winner over Duke in the second semifinal Martin, who played in the Final Four with FAU two years ago, added 17 points for the Gators. Thomas Haugh had 12 were the top overall seed and had an eight-point halftime lead “Auburn had us on our heels in the first half but we came out with a great start and we didn’t look back,” said the 39-year-old Golden who joined Pearl’s first staff at Auburn in 2014 Florida opened the second half with a 13-3 run with Clayton capping that with a layup after Rueben Chinyelu’s steal That put the Gators up 51-49 with 15 1/2 minutes left After eight lead changes and six ties in the first 11:02 of the game Auburn stretched out to as much as a nine-point lead before halftime and led until Florida ended its big spurt with 11 consecutive points Chad Baker-Mazara with his left hand partially wrapped because of a thumb issue Broome finished with 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting and had seven rebounds — he had only three points after halftime in the Tigers' second loss to Florida this season Broome was hunched over even before the final buzzer and then was surrounded by cameras to capture his reaction then walked off the court with his eyes red from crying — pulling up his jersey to wipe his face as cameras continued to follow his exit Baker-Mazara and Broome both were injured in the win over Michigan State last Sunday that sent the Tigers to the Final Four Broome’s right elbow bent awkwardly during a hard fall in the second half and in the Final Four he wore some kind of brace on his arm covered by a sleeve “My elbow felt fine going into the game Obviously here and there it bothered me a little bit nothing that I couldn’t play with,” Broome said “I feel like we got the looks that we wanted to get I wasn’t able to capitalize and finish them.” AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here Here are the live updates and scores from the conclusion of these top-ranked ball clubs The Tennessee Volunteers haven’t exactly had the best luck with regards to the weather this weekend Liam Doyle’s Friday night was cut short just one inning into work due to the bottom falling out of a thunderstorm The bullpen scrapped their way to a 6-1 loss in game one after resuming play Saturday morning the Tigers and Vols will finish off Game Two which saw the Vols fight back to tie the game in the ninth thanks to a Dalton Bargo homer The game immediately got delayed in the top of the 10th after just one pitch was thrown We will keep all score updates tracked right here Belyeu striks out swinginf for the second out of ht einning Game Three Live Updates: ALERT Game Three is Only set for Seven Innings First Inning: SCORELESSTop: Rembert flies out to center field to start game three as AJ Russell gets the start for the Vols Ike Irish walks to put a runner on for Auburn Cooper McMurray strikes out swinging to end the top of the first Curley flies out to right field for the second out Second Inning: SCORELESS Top: Steele strikes out to start the top of the second for the Tigers Russell now faces Terrell and he flies out to center to retire the side and Clark are due up for the Vols in the second Ensley singles through the left side to lead things off for the Vols A line drive off Bargo's bat forces a double play to clear the bases for Levi Clark Third Inning: Tigers Take the Lead (0-4) Top: Fralick singles down the left field line to put a Tiger on base with nobody out Eric Snow then singled to center field to put runners on first and second with nobody out and Rembert to the plate Rembert then singles to load the bases with nobody out A wild pitch from Nate Snead brings home the first run of the game Belyeu brings home another run with a single into center A fielder's choice brings home yet another runner for the Tigers McMurray then doubles off the right field wall runners now at second and third with just one out A fly out to left field brings home another runner Guevara strikes out swinging to end the inning Cannon Peebles strikes out looking for the first out Marin strikes out swinging for the second out of the game Kilen flies out to center to end the inning Fourth Inning: Vols Leave two in scoring position SCORELESSTop: Terrell grounds out to third base for the first out Fralick grounds out to shortstop for the second out Eric Snow grounds out to end the top of the fourth Curley grounds out to shortstop for the first out Andrew Fischer draws a walk to bring up Hunter Ensley with one on and one out Ensley singles out to right field to bring Dalton Bargo to the plate with runners at first and second Levi Clark now up to the plate with two outs A passed ball moves both runners into scoring position for Clark Fifth Inning: Tigers Tack On Additional Runs (0-6) Top: Rembert leads things off with a line drive single into left field Belyeu singles to right field and Rembert advances to third Brandon Arvidson now in to pitch for the Vols to face off against Ike Irish A wild pitch advances both runners up ninety feet Irish is walked to load the bases for Auburn with nobody out Cooper McMurray now steps in with the bases loaded and he strikes out looking for the first out of the inning Brayden Krenzel now into pitch for the Vols A walk brings home the fifth run for the Tigers Guevara now at the plate with one out and the bases loaded Bub Terrell strikes out swinging for the second out of the inning Fralick singles into right field to tack on another run (0-7) but Steele is thrown out at home to end the inning Then Cannon Peebles goes deep to left field for the first Vols run of the afternoon Marin strikes out swinging for the second out of the inning Gavin Kilen then fouled out to left field to end the inning Sixth Inning: Top: Tanner Franklin in to pitch for the Vols Eric Snow flies out to right field for the first out of the inning Rembert attempts a bunt but is thrown out at first for the second out Belyeu is now up and he grounds out to end the inning Curley flies out to left field for the first out of the inning Fischer strikes out swinging for the second out Hunter Ensley is hit by a pitch to extend the inning and bring Dalton Bargo to the plate Bargo strikes out swinging to end the inning Seventh Inning: Top: Irish draws a four pitch walk and then steals second A double play ball gets the Vols two before Terrell grounds out to end the inning AJ to the mound for Game 3.#GBO // #BeatAuburn pic.twitter.com/nQsNVxZ8Pl Game Two conclusion: VOLS WIN GAME TWO IN WALK OFF FASHION 5-4 Tenth Inning: Tied 4-4 Entering TenthTop: Liam Doyle is in the game to pitch for the Vols in the Top of the 10th inning Irish draws a four-pitch walk to start the inning A ground ball to first base records an out but moves Irish into scoring position with one out and Steele at the plate Steele strikes out for the second out of the inning Fabian strikes out looking for the final out of the top of the tenth Peebles lines out back to the pitcher for the first out Marin is hit by a pitch to put the winning run on for the Vols but Marin is thrown out at third for the second out Curley stands in with two outs and Kilen on second base Curley then grounds out and we are going to the 11th Vols Get Escape in the Top Half Top: Liam Doyle returns to the mound for the Vols in the 11th and he strikes out Eric Snow to start the inning Fralick then flies out to right field for the second out Carter doubles to put a runner in scoring position with two outs for Rembert Rembert is intentionally walked to bring Terrell to the plate Carter steals third base to put the leading run ninety feet away Carter is caught stealing home to end the top of the 11th Benches clear as Carter runs into Liam Doyle at home plate and is tagged out Fischer singles up the middle to put the winning run on with nobody out Hunter Ensley singles to right field on the first pitch he sees Griffin Graves now in to pitch for the Auburn Tigers A sacrifice bunt from Bargo puts runners at second and third with one out Levi Clark is intentionally walked to load the bases for Reese Chapman Newstrom is pinch-hitting for Reese Chapman Newstrom singles up the middle to end the game (5-4) Sunday's Creams for a big day of baseball!#GBO // #BeatAuburn pic.twitter.com/wj1naJvOBH May 4th• Game Time: 1:00 PM EST• Stadium: Lindsey Nelson Stadium• Where: Knoxville • Follow Tennessee on SI on Twitter: @VolsOnSI• Follow Tennessee on SI on Facebook: @VOLS on SI Make sure to follow our website Tennessee on SI. BROOKS AUSTIN crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.