Freshman Jahki Howard Puts on Show in Auburn's Win Over Monmouth

Auburn Tigers freshman Jahki Howard lit up Neville Arena with a pair of dunks reminiscent of the legendary Chris Porter.

Auburn Tigers forward Jahki Howard put on a dunk contest in the win over Monmouth / Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 2 Auburn Tigers (11-1), led by another double-double from Johni Broome, beat Monmouth (2-10)  87-58 in its non-conference finale despite struggling to get going early.

“It was the toughest non-conference schedule in the history of Auburn basketball, and we lost one game at Duke in a close game,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said of a slate that included four wins over ranked opponents. “Very proud of our kids. We demonstrated we could win away from Neville.”

Broome, who finished the game with 14 points and 11 rebounds, led Auburn to its fifth-consecutive win.

Monmouth made it a game for most of the first half, holding a lead for the majority of the first 10 minutes of the game. A 3-pointer from Jaret Valencia kick-started the Hawks’ early offensive success.

Auburn would take control in the final six minutes of the first half, however, going on an 18-0 run to close it out. Chaney Johnson scored the first 10 points of that run. That gave the Tigers a 46-28 lead going into the locker room.

Once again, Auburn’s bench gave it a significant leg up. The Tigers had 31 bench points to the Hawks’ 10. Domination on the glass also helped Auburn along as it out-rebounded Monmouth 46-27.

In the second half Auburn’s freshmen teamed up for two electrifying lobs from Tahaad Pettiford to Jahki Howard, who windmilled the first and reversed the second on a half-court pass, bringing teammates on the Tigers’ bench to their feet. 

JAHKI HOWARD HAVING AN IN-GAME DUNK CONTEST 😱

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— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) December 31, 2024

“That kid is a freak of nature,” Baker-Mazara said of Howard’s high-flying exploits. “You haven’t seen anything close of what he does in practice.”

“When I first saw it, I couldn’t breathe,” Cardwell said. “I couldn’t believe it. I think it’ll go down as the best dunk in Neville Arena.”

JAHKI HOWARD AGAIN OMG 😨

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— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) December 31, 2024

“Jahki Howard is going to be a great player and play in the NBA someday,” Pearl said. “He’s gifted and talented, and he’s also a hard worker.”

Auburn shot 43.9% from the field, 26.7% from 3-point range and 75% from the free-throw line. The Tigers were led in scoring by Broome, co-led in rebounds by Broome and Dylan Cardwell with 11 each and in assists by Tahaad Pettiford with five.

In addition to Broome, three other Tigers scored in double-figures. Chad Baker-Mazara had 13 points, and Cardwell and Johnson had 12 each.

Monmouth shot 36.5% from the field, 38.5% from 3-point range and 79.8% from the free-throw line. The Hawks were led in scoring by Abdi Bashir Jr. with 15 points, co-led in rebounds by Valencia, Jack Collins and Chris Morgan with four each and in assists by Bashir with four. 

“Now we get ready to start the toughest conference schedule in the history of college basketball,” Pearl said. “There’s maybe never been a league like this. The strong literally are going to be the only ones who are going to survive. Hungry, healthy, humble is the way to get through it.

“Matchups are going to matter. We’re going to lose games, but we can’t let a loss affect the next time out. We’re healthy and we’re ready.”

Auburn returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Missouri in its SEC opener. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. CT and the television broadcast can be found on SEC Network.

POSTGAME NOTES

• For the ninth time in program history, Auburn opened the season 12-1 overall or better and for the fourth time over the last eight years.

• Auburn’s 12th win of the season also tied a program record for winning its 12th game before the beginning of SEC Play (three times in the Bruce Pearl Era). Only five other AU squads accomplished that feat – 1995-96, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2017-18 and 2019-20.

• It was a first-ever meeting between the two schools as Auburn takes a 1-0 lead in the all-time series with Monmouth.

• Auburn went undefeated at home (6-0) against non-conference opponents for the ninth-straight season. The Tigers also saw its 61st-consecutive sellout crowd (9,121) at Neville Arena. They extended their win streak to 60-straight games against non-conference foes.

• For the 11th-consecutive game, Auburn went with the starting lineup of Denver Jones, Miles Kelly, Chad Baker-Mazara, Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell. Jones, Baker-Mazara, Broome and Cardwell have started all 13 games this season.

• The win marked Coach Pearl’s 212th win in his 11 seasons at Auburn, putting him one win away from tying Joel Eaves, who won 213 games in 14 seasons as the Tigers’ head coach.

• Dylan Cardwell recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and career-high 11 rebounds against Monmouth. He claimed his 100th career win in an Auburn uniform in a school-record 141 career games played. Cardwell is 13 wins away from tying Jaylin Williams – the all-time winningest player in program history.

• Johni Broome registered his 69th career double-double with a team-high 14 points and 11 rebounds against the Hawks. Broome also swatted away three shots which moved him past Anfernee McLemore for third (190) on the school’s all-time career blocks list. He entered the Monmouth game tied with McLemore.

• It marked the first time Auburn had two players turn in a double-double performances in the same game since Broome and Allen Flanigan versus Iowa in the 2023 NCAA Tournament First Round.

• For the third time this season and twice over the last three contests, Chaney Johnson reached double figures before halftime. He scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half against Monmouth.

• Denver Jones went a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc against Monmouth (9 points on the night). He has made 15 of his last 21 3-point attempts over the last four games.

• In just the first half of play, the Tigers went 11-of-14 from the free throw line – both season highs for makes and attempts.

• Auburn dished out 22 assists on 29 field-goal makes against Monmouth. It marked the sixth time this season with 20-or-more assists in a single game.

• Chad Baker-Mazara tallied 13 points, three rebounds, four assists and one steal in the win. He was sent to the free throw line twice (4-for-4) and converted four-point plays on each. Baker-Mazara’s school-record, consecutive-free throw streak continues (39-for-39) and dates back to Nov. 18.

• The Tigers boast the best non-conference win percentage (.861) among SEC schools with a 93-15 record since 2016-17.