3 takeaways from Auburn men’s basketball’s 83-81 win over Iowa State

The Auburn Tigers made history in their opening round game of the 2024 Maui Invitational.

For the first time in school history, Auburn beat two top-five teams in the same season. First it was Houston on Nov. 9, and the next number in their belt is No. 5 Iowa State, which won 83-81.

The Tigers trailed the Cyclones by 16 points at halftime and stormed back in the second half, fueled by 18 points from Chad Baker-Mazara and a team-high 21 points from Johni Broome, including the game-winning tip-in with seconds left.

Iowa State shot 47% from the field as a team, led by Keshon Gilbert’s 23 points.

Before we face the winner of North Carolina and Dayton in the Maui nightcap, here are three takeaways from Monday’s game:

Iowa State’s defense upsets Auburn early

Iowa State entered Monday night’s contest with one of the best defenses in the country. This was shown again by forcing Auburn to seven in the first half.

The Cyclones scored 11 points off the Tigers’ turnovers and outscored them 14-3 on fast break points. Auburn shot 29% from 3-point range and hit just four in the first half.

Tahaad Pettiford and Broome combined for 20 points in the first half. However, Iowa State had five players with seven or more points before halftime.

Heroic goals in the second half led to the victory

Auburn began the second half with a 24-11 win over Iowa State, cutting its deficit to just one possession. The Tigers took their first lead in the final four minutes of the game with two free throws from Denver Jones.

Pettiford finished the game with 14 points off the bench. Jones and Miles Kelly combined for 24 points after a slow start in the first half.

Ja’Heim Hudson returns to court, no Jahki Howard

After serving a three-game suspension for his involvement in the physical altercation during a team flight, Ja’Heim Hudson faced action against Iowa State.

Hudson played four minutes in the first half and had one rebound and one assist.

Jahki Howard, who was also suspended, did not see playing time for the third straight game. He hasn’t seen action since the start of the season.

Auburn plays the winner of North Carolina and Dayton on Tuesday at 10 p.m. on ESPN.