No. 4 Auburn wins Maui Invitational with a 90-76 win over Memphis

Auburn players and staff celebrate a 90-76 win over Memphis in the championship game of the NCAA college basketball Maui Invitational tournament, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Johni Broome scored 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead No. 4 Auburn to the Maui Invitational championship with a 90-76 win over Memphis on Wednesday.

Auburn (7-0) opened the game with a 9-0 run spurred by Broome’s 3-pointer from the right wing just 22 seconds in. Broome had 15 points and 11 rebounds by halftime and finished 8 of 15 from the field with six assists and four blocks.

Dylan Cardwell shot 8 of 8 from the field and finished with 18 points. Chad Baker-Mazara added 14 points and Denver Jones chipped in 11 points for Auburn.

PJ Haggerty led Memphis (6-1) with 27 points on 11-of-20 shooting while Dain Dainja added 15 points.

Auburn, which led 47-31 at halftime, pulled ahead by 22 points with four minutes to play.

Before now, only two SEC teams had won the Maui Invitational in the 40-year history of the tournament. Auburn joins Vanderbilt (1986) and Kentucky (1993) as tournament champions.

A key moment was when Auburn converted 3-pointers by Broome and JP Pegues on back-to-back possessions, both set up by offensive rebounds by Cardwell. After Broome hit a 3 from the right wing, Auburn forced a turnover before Pegues scored his 3 on the left wing to give the Tigers a 39-19 lead with 4:33 left in the first half.

Auburn had 23 assists and committed only nine turnovers.

Up next, Auburn visits No. 11 Duke.

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