Auburn falls to No. 1 seed Houston in NCAA Tournament

Auburn guard Wendell Green Jr. (1) drives to the basket as Houston guard Marcus Sasser (0) defends in the first half of a second-round college basketball game…

Auburn guard Wendell Green Jr. (1) drives to the basket as Houston guard Marcus Sasser (0) defends in the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, March 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

by: Isaac Goffin

Posted: Mar 18, 2023 / 08:34 PM CDT

Updated: Mar 18, 2023 / 08:34 PM CDT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — No. 9 seed Auburn ended its season Saturday with an 81-64 loss to first-seeded Houston in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Legacy Arena.

The Tigers were up, 41-31, at halftime, but the Cougars took a 51-50 lead with 9:32 left and never looked back. After shooting above 55% in the first, Auburn went 4-of-24 from the field in the final 20 minutes.

Forwards Johni Broome and Jaylin Williams topped Auburn scorers with 14 points. Houston guard Tramon Mark recorded 26 points, while guard Marcus Sasser put 22 points to his name.

Auburn’s final record in 2022-23 is 21-13.