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

Johni Broome saved the Tigers 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 victory 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’ victory over No. 2 UConn to start 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, pushing the Tigers to 5-0 on the season. They have 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 downfield. That gave the Tigers one last shot at winning it at the buzzer. Auburn held for the final shot and Broome battled through the paint to perfectly cover a missed layup from Denver Jones just before the clock expired

It sealed their two-point victory and sparked a huge celebration in Maui.

The Cyclones looked like they would cruise to a dominating victory Monday night after taking 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 halftime. They used a 15-2 run to start the second half and make it a one-possession game almost immediately, which they rode until Broome’s tip-in at the end. Auburn outscored 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 shooting 8-of-10 from the field in the loss, 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 career highs for the senior. He has helped lead the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three seasons under coach Bruce Pearl, but they have 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.