The Auburn Tigers returned home without player of the year favorite Johni Broome, and they took care of business blowing out No. 15 Mississippi State.

Chad Baker-Mazara scored 20 points, and No. 1 Auburn beat No. 15 Mississippi State 88-66 on Tuesday night in its first game without star center Johni Broome. Chaney Johnson, who replaced Broome in the starting lineup,

Five Auburn players scored in double figures and the No. 1 Tigers survived their first test without their best player, Johni Broome, prevailing 88-66 over visiting No. 15 Mississippi State on Tuesday.

Auburn basketball's first contest as the nation's No. 1 one comes against No. 15 Mississippi State on Tuesday. Stay tuned to the Montgomery Advertiser's live blog for in-game score updates.

The record-breaking Neville Arena crowd cheered loudly as Auburn won the opening tip. It didn’t take long for Chaney Johnson -- Auburn’s 6-foot-7 forward who was filling in for the injured Johni Broome -- to get the ball on his way to the rim.

It turns out that the Tigers are just fine without star Johni Broome.

Auburn men’s basketball came into Tuesday night’s clash against Mississippi State with a target on its back and missing its best player, Johni Broome. That didn’t end the run of dominance, though, as the Tigers cruised to an 88-66 win over the Bulldogs, improving to 16-1 overall and 4-0 in Southeastern Conference play.

Without Johni Broome, No. 1 Auburn basketball had no problem downing No. 15 Mississippi State on Tuesday. Here's a look at how it happened.

Auburn played its first game without injured star Johni Broome but Mississippi State basketball did not take advantage. And it wasn’t even close. The No. 18 Bulldogs (14-3, 2-2 SEC) were dismantled 88-66 at No.