No. 4 Auburn looked like it’d be ending its trip to Hawaii in disappointing fashion on Monday night.
But after erasing an 18-point deficit and tying the game at 81-81, Johni Broome tipped in the game-winning basket with 1.3 seconds remaining and handed No. 5 Iowa State its first loss of the season.
Down 49-33 at half, the Tigers looked sluggish and incapable of sustaining any offensive momentum.
But head coach Bruce Pearl must’ve had a rousing locker room speech as his team went on a 15-0 run to start the second half.
The Cyclones took nearly six minutes before hitting their opening bucket after halftime but made things difficult for the Tigers down the stretch.
With four minutes remaining in regulation, Auburn completed the 18-point comeback and took its first lead since the opening minutes of the contest. That opened the door for Broome’s near buzzer-beating heroics.
The quarterfinal matchup at the Maui Invitational was a battle between NET ranked No. 5 and No. 6 teams.
The statement win by Auburn (5-0) adds to its already impressive early resume. It’s now the second top-five win the Tigers have recorded in just five games played (def. No. 4 Houston on Nov. 9).
They now advance to the semifinals and will play the winner of Dayton vs. No. 12 North Carolina.
Iowa State (3-1) awaits the loser of that same matchup in the consolation bracket.
