CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURNTIGERS.COM
AUBURN — Last week, the Auburn University mens basketball team won the first Maui Invitational title in program history, joining Vanderbilt (1986) and Kentucky (1993) as the only SEC programs to win the title. The Tigers are 5-1 in two all-time appearances in the Maui Invitational after posting a 2-1 record in the 2018 event, held at Lahaina Civic Center in Hawaii.
“Our fans traveled. Our kids were excited about playing every single game,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “We dominated. Big win for our program. Auburn’s name is going to be on this building forever. We came here to make history and I’m really proud of our club.”
Following is a recap of the tournament.
Quarter-Final, Monday, Nov. 25: No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 5 Iowa State
Johni Broome’s tip-in with one second remaining gave No. 4 Auburn an 83-81 come-from-behind victory over No. 5 Iowa State Monday in the Maui Invitational in Hawaii, the second biggest comeback in the Bruce Pearl era and the Tigers’ second top five win this season.
Auburn overcame an 18-point deficit, one point shy of the Tigers’ 19-point comeback win at Ole Miss in 2020.
“Our kids didn’t quit,” Pearl said. “Iowa State played great in the first half. You could tell both teams were very well prepared. I think they got a little tired. We started guarding them. We came here to make history.
“This team now owns two top-five wins,” Pearl said. “Not since 1990 when Kansas started the season 5-0 with two top-five wins has it happened, so we made some history.”
Broome led five Tigers in double figures with 21 points and 10 rebounds in 36 minutes. Chad Baker-Mazara scored 18 points, Tahaad Pettiford added 14 while Miles Kelly and Denver Jones each scored 12 points.
Trailing by 16 at the half, Auburn came out sizzling in the second half, outscoring Iowa State 50-32 and outrebounding the Cyclones 21-10.
The score was tied when Broome’s steal with 11 seconds left gave Auburn a chance to win. Jones drove and shot a layup that Broome tipped in for the win.
Semi-Final, Tuesday, Nov. 26: No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 12 North Carolina
Johni Broome recorded a double-double in the first half and No. 4 Auburn never trailed against No. 12 North Carolina, beating the Tar Heels 85-72 Tuesday to advance to the championship game at the Maui Invitational.
“Our guys started both halves extremely well. Johni Broome was dominant,” said Auburn coach Bruce Pearl. “Denver Jones continues to lead our guards with his defense. He’s one of the best defensive guards in the country. We’re going to need all that tomorrow against Memphis.”
Broome recorded his fourth consecutive double-double and second in two days, scoring 23 points and grabbing 19 rebounds, adding a game-high five assists and three blocked shots.
Six Tigers scored in double figures with Miles Kelly scoring 15 points, Chad BakerMazara scoring 14, Chaney Johnson adding 11 and Denver Jones and Tahaad Pettiford each chipping in 10 points.
Auburn matched its season high with seven blocked shots, which the Tigers previously did against Vermont and No. 4 Houston. Johni Broome led Auburn with three blocks, while Dylan Cardwell and Chaney Johnson each added a pair of blocks.
Championship, Nov. 27: No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 16 Memphis
Behind big men Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell, No. 4 Auburn overpowered Memphis to win the Maui Invitational championship game 90-7.
Broome, the tournament MVP, recorded a second straight double-double by halftime, finishing with 21 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and four blocked shots. He dominated in Maui, playing 101 minutes in fewer than 48 hours, registering three triple doubles, averaging 21.7 points, 15 rebounds, 4.3 assists and three blocks per tournament game. In the win over Memphis, Broome became the first Auburn player to record five-straight double-doubles since Jeff Moore in 1988.
“We played tremendous defense and tremendous basketball against great opponents,” Broome said. “These last two days, we’ve shown how committed we are to each other because we see how good we can be.”
Cardwell set new career highs with 18 points on 8-of-8 field goals including one 3-pointer and six assists against Memphis. He added three rebounds and one steal in the win.
“Before the game, Johni said, ‘When they double, just go to the basket and I’ll find you,’” Cardwell said. “Johni found me every single time. It’s so great having a teammate as selfless as him. He’s a great teammate, high-IQ guy. I’m grateful for the way our relationship has blossomed over the three years we’ve been together.”
For the second straight day, Auburn never trailed, opening with a 9-0 run and leading by double digits for the game’s final 28 minutes and 38 seconds. The orange and blue Tigers are the third SEC team to win the Maui Invitational, the first since Kentucky in 1993.
Chad Baker-Mazara scored 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting including 1-of-2 from long range against Memphis. He also went 3-of-3 from the foul line for his fifth-straight game in double figures and sixth of the season. Baker-Mazara finished the day with five assists and three rebounds. He averaged 15.3 points on 51.7 percent shooting, including six 3-pointers, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in three Maui Invitational games.
Denver Jones chipped in 11 points, including 4-of-4 from the foul line, to go with three rebounds and two assists for his sixth game in double figures this season including five straight. Jones averaged 11.0 points in three Maui Invitational games.
Auburn is off to a 7-0 start for the third time under head coach Bruce Pearl after starting 15-0 in 2019-20 and 8-0 in 2022-23.
Following the wins, the Associated Press (AP) NCAA Basketball Rankings on Monday, Dec. 2, listed Auburn as the No. 2 team in the country, behind No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks, who are also off to a 7-0 start.
The Tigers traveled to play another high-profile opponent — No. 9 Duke — on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Results were unavailable at press time.
