Zep Jasper got things started for Auburn in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, so it was fitting that he also put an emphatic finish on the Tigers’ big night.

Jasper, who scored the game’s first basket on a tough drive off the opening tip Thursday at Legacy Arena, was bestowed the honor of placing the Auburn placard onto the second-round line of the enlarged bracket that was situated in the center of the Tigers’ locker room.

“I wish I could’ve cried when I put it on the board, but it was one of those moments where it was just pride,” Jasper said. “You’re proud to be able to put it on the board and advance. It felt so good to me.”

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Jasper hasn’t been the type to fill up the box score for Auburn this season; he’s averaging just 2.8 points, one rebound and half an assist per game. Jasper hasn’t scored in double figures all season, and he has as many scoreless games as he does ones with five or more points, but he has been a steadying presence inside the Tigers’ locker room and its starting lineup.

The fifth-year senior has started all 33 games in the backcourt alongside point guard Wendell Green Jr. after, shifting off the ball after starting 32 games at point guard during his first season on the Plains a year ago. And while he hasn’t been much of a scorer, the “Honey Badger” has been an effective on-ball defender for one of the better defenses in college basketball this season.

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Jasper, who started his career at College of Charleston but didn’t play in their lone NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018 while he was there, told his teammates before Thursday’s game that he didn’t want this one to be his last in an Auburn uniform.

“Before the game, I told him, ‘This is not going to be our last game together,’” said center Johni Broome, who had 19 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks. “I’m glad I was able to hold up my end. He’s very special. He’s a good man. I’m glad he’s my teammates. He’s someone who’s a mentor to me.”

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That likely explained Jasper’s aggression off the opening tip of Auburn’s NCAA Tournament opener against eighth-seeded Iowa, as he set the tone for the ninth-seeded Tigers. After Auburn controlled the opening tip, Jasper drove down the right side of the lane and banked in a tough layup for the game’s first points.

Those were his only points in 17 minutes of action during the Tigers’ 83-75 win — a game that saw six Auburn players finish in double figures for the first time all year. Still, Pearl singled out Jasper in the locker room postgame and gave him the honor of moving Auburn on to the second round, where the Tigers will face top-seeded Houston on Saturday at 6:10 p.m. (TBS).

Jasper slammed the nameplate onto the bracket and began bouncing up and down, celebrating with his teammates who gathered around him and joined him in celebrating another first-round win—and a chance to play at least one more game.

“(Pearl) knew what me putting on that board meant,” Jasper said. “He knew I believe in Auburn so much. He knew that I love Auburn. I want to keep putting this on the board. I want to keep going. I want to have the Round of 32, but I want to make it past that.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.