3 takeaways from Auburn’s Maui Invitational semifinal game against North Carolina

The start of the 2024-2025 season has been full of tests. So far, Auburn men’s basketball has passed them all.

Just one day after beating the no. 5 Iowa State in an 18-point comeback, Auburn returned to the Lahaina Civic Center on Tuesday night to beat North Carolina 85-72.

It’s the Tigers’ third ranked win already this season, and it sets up a matchup with Memphis on Wednesday afternoon in the Maui Invitational Championship.

Here are three takeaways from the game:

The Johni Broome Show

Johni Broome is slowly making his case for the Naismith Award, and Tuesday night might have been his best show yet.

He had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the first half and finished the game with 23 points and 19 rebounds, both game highs. Broome’s 19 rebounds are a career high.

Broome’s presence was crucial for Auburn. The Tigers looked like a completely different team with him off the floor as North Carolina went on a 10-2 first-half run during the four minutes he was on the bench.

His impact was greater than just as a goalscorer, as he was quiet from the field in the second half. Broome’s presence on defense and on the glass was a constant positive for Auburn, finishing with six offensive rebounds and three blocks.

Accelerated at times

Both Auburn and North Carolina played at an almost frantic pace Tuesday night, something Auburn hasn’t had to do much of this season.

That favored the Tigers for parts of the game, but also led to a couple of rushed possessions, something that seemed to favor North Carolina. Auburn shot the ball relatively well, but shot selection was questionable at times, especially in the first half.

Auburn took a bunch of transition 3-pointers, some open but some forced with over 20 seconds left on the shot clock.

One thing Auburn did well despite the high tempo was take care of the ball. The Tigers finished with eight turnovers and forced 10, but led 15-6 in points off turnovers.

Anyone can hurt you

A big part of Tuesday’s win was Auburn’s depth.

The usual suspects like Broome, Miles Kelly and Chad Baker-Mazara all played well, but bench contributions from Tahaad Pettiford and Chaney Johnson also had a big impact on the game.

Auburn finished the game with six players in double figures, something that is slowly becoming an expectation for this team. Although Broome had a quiet second half, Auburn’s offense never really slowed down.

When Broome was quiet from scoring in the paint, Johnson stepped up and scored nine points in the second half. All of Auburn’s guards continued to shoot the ball well, allowing Auburn to play inside and out throughout the game.

It takes depth to beat teams like Iowa State and North Carolina on consecutive days. Auburn did just that and will now have a chance to win the Maui Invitational.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him at X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m