LAHAINA, Hawaii — In a thrilling semifinal matchup of the Maui Invitational, No. 4 Auburn triumphed over No. 12 North Carolina with a score of 85-72, largely thanks to a stellar performance from Johni Broome, who achieved a double-double with 23 points and 19 rebounds.

Auburn demonstrated dominance throughout the game, never trailing at any point and even holding a lead as significant as 19 points. The Tigers improved their record to 6-0 and are set to face Memphis in the tournament final on Wednesday.

Broome was particularly impactful in the first half, where he scored 18 of his points and shot 9 of 18 from the floor. Additionally, he contributed five assists and blocked three shots. His teammates also made notable contributions, with Miles Kelly scoring 15 points and Chad Baker-Mazara adding 14. Chaney Johnson supported them with 11 points and eight rebounds, while Denver Jones and Tahaad Pettiford each chipped in with 10 points.

For North Carolina, Seth Trimble was the leading scorer with 17 points. Meanwhile, RJ Davis, the reigning ACC player of the year, struggled offensively, finishing with only 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting, marking his lowest performance of the season.

Although North Carolina made a push to narrow the gap, climbing within three points after Jalen Washington’s dunk made it 33-30, Auburn responded with a late first-half run, scoring seven of the last nine points to end the half with a 40-32 advantage.