Behind big men Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell, No. 4 Auburn overpowered Memphis to win the Maui Invitational championship game 90-76 Wednesday at Lahaina Civic Center.
“Our fans traveled. Our kids were excited about playing every single game,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “We dominated and we controlled the game. Big win for our program. Auburn’s name is going to be on this building forever. We came here to make history and I’m really proud of our club.”
The Auburn senior post players combined for 39 points, 19 rebounds and 12 assists.
“Incredible,” Pearl said. “They’re unselfish and they make the extra pass. Both my big men knocked down 3s tonight. When you have that kind of spacing and you have to guard those guys on the perimeter, it makes everything you run offensively all that much better.”
Broome, the tournament MVP, recorded a second straight double-double by halftime, finishing with 21 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and four blocked shots.
“I trust the guys around me,” Broome said. “I don’t mind having 10 assists. If they want to keep double teaming me, that’s fine.”
Broome dominated in Maui, playing 101 minutes in fewer than 48 hours, registering three triple doubles, averaging 21.7 points, 15 rebounds, 4.3 assists and three blocks per tournament game.
“We played tremendous defense and tremendous basketball against great opponents,” Broome said. “Our word this year was sacrifice, taking care of your body, not being up too late, getting to things on time. All those things help win championships. These last two days, we’ve shown how committed we are to each other because we see how good we can be.”
Cardwell enjoyed a career day scoring 18 points on 8-for-8 shooting.
“Before the game, Johni said, ‘When they double, just go to the basket and I’ll find you,’” Cardwell said. “Johni found me every single time. It’s so great having a teammate as selfless as him. He’s a great teammate, high-IQ guy. I’m grateful for the way our relationship has blossomed over the three years we’ve been together.”
Cardwell’s perfect shooting day included a 3-pointer, along with three rebounds and six assists.
“I’m working on that part of my game,” Cardwell said of his perimeter shot. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to showcase what I can do. I’m blessed to be part of this team and be a part of the Auburn family.”
For the second straight day, Auburn never trailed, opening with a 9-0 run and leading by double digits for the game’s final 28 minutes and 38 seconds. The orange and blue Tigers are the third SEC team to win the Maui Invitational, the first since Kentucky in 1993.
“We played really well,” Pearl said. “We put a really good foot forward. We’re going to celebrate this for a couple days. I’m going to give the guys Friday and Saturday off. It’s been a pretty good few days for the Auburn Tigers.”
Chad Baker-Mazara scored 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting, adding five assists. Denver Jones added 11 points. Auburn shot 56.7 percent and had 23 assists with only nine turnovers.
Another high-profile opponent awaits next Wednesday when Auburn (7-0) visits No. 11 Duke at 8:15 p.m. CT on ESPN and the Auburn Sports Network from Durham, North Carolina.
