Johni Broome tips in game-winner to lift No. 4 Auburn past No. 5 Iowa State at Maui Invitational

Johni Broome saved the Tigers on Monday night in Maui.

Broome, after leading No. 4 Auburn out of an early 18-point hole, came up with a tip-in bucket with 1.2 seconds left to lift the Tigers to an 83-81 win over No. 5 Iowa State in the first round of the Maui Invitational. It marked the second wild game of the day at the iconic Feast Week tournament at the Lahaina Civic Center, following Memphis' win over No. 2 UConn to start out the event.

Broome's final tip-in brought him to a double-double on the night. He finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds in the win, which pushed the Tigers to 5-0 on the season. They've now beaten two top-5 programs in the same season for the first time in school history, following their upset win over then-No. 4 Houston.

Iowa State had the ball with about 20 seconds left and the game tied, but Keshon Gilbert lost it while trying to drive through the lane. That set up one last attempt for the Tigers to win it at the buzzer. Auburn held for the last shot, and Broome fought through the paint to perfectly put back a missed layup from Denver Jones just before the clock expired

That sealed their two-point win, and sparked a huge celebration in Maui.

The Cyclones appeared like they were going to cruise to a dominant win on Monday night after they took a huge 18-point lead in the first half. But Auburn came flying out of the locker room to get back into the contest almost immediately after the break. They used a 15-2 run to start the second half and make it a one-possession game almost instantly, which they rode until Broome's tip-in at the end. Auburn out-scored Iowa State 50-32 in the final 20 minutes, and Miles Kelly sank a layup with 38 seconds left to tie the game one last time before the final shot.

Gilbert led the Cyclones with 23 points after he shot 8-of-10 from the field in the loss, which was their first of the season. Curtis Jones added 14 points off the bench, and Dishon Jackson finished with 13 points.

Broome entered Monday’s game averaging 20 points and 11.3 rebounds per game this season, both of which are career-highs for the senior. He’s helped lead the Tigers to the NCAA tournament in each of the last three seasons under coach Bruce Pearl, but they’ve failed to make it out of the first weekend.

Chad Baker-Mazara added 18 points after Broome’s double-double for the Tigers, and Tahaad Pettiford finished with 14 points off the bench. Auburn will now take on either No. 12 North Carolina or Dayton in the semifinals on Tuesday.