Illinois State vs Auburn

Auburn dominated from start to finish in the Sweet 16, cruising past Illinois State 88-66 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Tigers led 51-38 at halftime and never looked back, ballooning their advantage to 24 points behind a devastating 11-2 run that pushed their lead to 67-43. Auburn's defense suffocated the Redbirds, forcing a brutal seven-possession drought that lasted over three minutes and essentially putting the game away. Illinois State simply couldn't find an answer for Auburn's relentless offensive attack. The Redbirds trailed by double digits for most of the second half as the top seed's balanced scoring and stifling defense proved too much to overcome. Auburn advances to the NIT Regional Final with a convincing wire-to-wire victory.