With 4:18 remaining in the first half No. 4 Auburn trailed No. 5 Iowa State by 18 points, doubling the previous largest deficit of the early season, in a disastrous start to the Tigers three-game showing at the Maui Invitational.
But the Tigers battled all the way back, starting the second half with a 15-2 run, and took down the No. 5 Cyclones with a Johni Broome tip-in at the rim with 1.2 seconds remaining in a 83-81 victory to advance Auburn to the semifinal round of the Maui Invitational against either North Carolina or Dayton.
The victory marks the Tigers’ second against an AP top-five opponent in the same season for the first time in program history. And it’s November.
“Well, one of the things that we talk about with Auburn basketball is to try to make history,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said following the win. “We've made history, but we're not celebrating. That was a really good Iowa State team…The guys did a good job at halftime, kind of getting after each other and not quitting.”
College basketball is often referred to as a game of runs. Iowa State had runs of 7-0, 10-0, 6-0 and 6-0 – the last closed out the first half of play after Auburn mounted a 7-0 run of its own.
“I thought in the first half, you know, we looked a little young, a little inexperienced. I thought we panicked offensively. But I give all Iowa State all credit for the way they play,” Pearl said.
The Cyclones turned the Tigers over seven times, with six steals, leading to 11 points, compared to zero points off turnovers for Auburn, in the first half. Iowa State shot 58.1% from the field in the first 20 minutes of play with 14 fast break points en route to a 49 point total at the half.
“It was really encouraging,” Chad Baker-Mazara said of the team’s message to each other at the break. “They probably had the best half that they could ever have against us. So basically, we were saying, we're either going to come back out there and let them do the same thing, or we're going to put a stop to it.”
Auburn's Chad Baker-Mazara celebrates emphatically after Auburn takes down Iowa State on Nov. 25, 2024.
Baker-Mazara played only seven minutes in the first half, amounting to two points on one shot, after exciting the action with an injury to his knee-area. The senior, however, started the second half and finished with 18 points, shooting 3-for-4 from deep, knocking down all five free throw attempts and three rebounds all while very visually playing through pain.
“I would just bumped knees with one of the guy and probably hit like a bad spot,” Baker-Mazara said. “I always say, ‘My mama raised a warrior so if I'm not dead I'm going out there on the court.”
Former all-American Johni Broome once again shined brightest on the biggest stage now with 20-plus points in two straight matchups against AP top-five opponents. The big man played a career-high 36 minutes against Iowa State on Monday night and needed every last second tipping in Auburn’s final shot with 1.2 seconds remaining before cramping up in celebration of the win.
“Coach really emphasized, especially on the big guys too. Whenever a shot goes up to go be there for the second chance points,” Baker-Mazara said. “He's been on Johni a little bit more about it. So I feel like today, he was just being a beast down in the paint. He was in the right position at the right time, and just was able to get a good tip.”
Broome knocked down two shots from deep to help Auburn continue to weather the storm against the Cyclones and ultimately picked up his 63rd career double-double and 31st straight game in double figures.
“Broome was not recruited at a high major level. He's got a chance to be one of the best players in college basketball. He was a three star. He wears that,” Pearl said of his star big man.
Three of the Tigers’ four members of the back court scored in double figures; Tahaad Pettiford with 14 along with Denver Jones and Miles Kelly with 12 a-piece. Each part of the trio shot 50% from the field in the second half combining to shoot 9-for-18.
“And I think the only thing that hopefully happens in a locker room is the guys gained confidence from the fact that there are enough pieces out there,” Pearl said. “It was several guys who stepped up and made big plays, big shots.”
Auburn fans celebrate after Auburn's victory over Iowa State on Nov. 25, 2024.
In a day full of comebacks at the Maui Invitational, the Tigers’ 18-point comeback win marked the largest comeback in a top-five matchup since No. 4 Kansas came back from 19 down to beat No. 3 Missouri on Feb. 25, 2012.
No. 4 Auburn will look to advance to the championship round of the Maui Invitational in a matchup with either Dayton or No. 12 North Carolina on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 10 p.m. CST on ESPN in the Lahaina Civic Center.
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Patrick is a junior from Auburn, Alabama, double majoring in journalism and marketing. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2022.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @patrickabingham
