Myles Tate buried a step-back 3-pointer with 33 seconds left as Appalachian State cashed in on a rare opportunity to host a power conference school, upsetting Auburn 69-64, Sunday in Boone, N.C.
Tate added two free throws with 17 seconds left and finished with 18 points as the Mountaineers (6-2) treated a raucous sellout crowd to their fifth straight win.
After the final buzzer, fans stormed the court. It was Appalachian State’s first home win over a power conference school since toppling Nebraska 30 years ago.
Donovan Gregory contributed 12 points, six rebounds and four assists as the Mountaineers (6-2) of the Sun Belt Conference snapped the Tigers’ five-game winning streak.
Terence Harcum scored 12 points and CJ Huntley delivered 10 points and five rebounds for the balanced Mountaineers, who overcame a 47-32 rebounding disadvantage and Auburn’s 42-22 edge on points in the paint.
Appalachian State trailed by nine early but responded with a 10-point run. The Mountaineers built their lead to 11 with nine minutes left before holding off a Tigers’ rally.
Johni Broome had 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead Auburn (5-2). Tre Donaldson added 12 points and five assists.
Auburn was done in by poor shooting from long range as it hit just 3 of 27 (11.1 percent) from beyond the arc. The Tigers shot just 39.4 percent (26 of 66) overall. Appalachian State made 43.1 percent of its shots overall and 8 of 17 (47.1 percent) on 3-pointers.
Donaldson’s 3-pointer with 19 seconds left gave the Tigers hope as they trailed 67-64, before Tate answered with his game-clinching free throws.
Appalachian State survived a 6:10 scoreless stretch, which allowed Auburn to slice an 11-point deficit to three points.
After the Mountaineers missed seven straight shots, Gregory drained a jumper with 1:22 left to make it 64-59. Jaylin Williams answered with a layup for Auburn but Tate provided the big plays in the final minute.
In the opening minutes, Auburn quieted the boisterous crowd with a nine-point run. Donaldson had two baskets sandwiching a 3-pointer by Chad Baker-Mazara as the Tigers grabbed a 17-8 lead.
But Appalachian State answered with a 10-point spree, with Huntley accounting for half of the points.
The lead seesawed the rest of the half, with Chad Marsh scoring on a buzzer-beating layup to give the Mountaineers a 33-31 lead at the break.
In the second half, Appalachian State never trailed. The Mountaineers’ lead peaked at 60-49 when Christopher Mantis drilled a 3-pointer with 9:03 left.
It was the first sellout at Appalachian State since the Mountaineers hosted Steph Curry and Davidson in 2009.
