Carolina had no answer for Auburn All-American Johni Broome against the No. 4 Tigers in the Maui Invitational semifinals on Tuesday night. Broome finished with 23 points and 19 rebounds to power Auburn past No. 12 UNC 85-72 and send the Tar Heels into the consolation game on Wednesday against Michigan State.

The Tigers raced out to a 21-6 lead inside the game’s first six minutes, marking the second consecutive game Carolina was forced to claw back from a big early deficit. Though UNC made efforts to rally and got as close as two points later in the first half, the Tar Heels never held a lead. Auburn weathered the storm and poured it on early in the second half, extending its lead to as large as 19 points and cruising from there.

Seth Trimble led UNC with 17 points. R.J. Davis added 12, while Elliot Cadeau and Jae’Lyn Withers each scored 10. No Tar Heel finished with more than nine rebounds, as the Tigers controlled the glass all evening. Auburn won the rebounding battle 42-36, including 11 offensive rebounds which led to 12 second-chance points. The Tigers also took 30 three-pointers and made 11, compared to 6-16 outside shooting for Carolina.

Tuesday’s loss marked only the fifth time the men’s basketball program has dropped a game during the Maui Invitational — but it stops Carolina from having a shot at the showcase’s title, which the Tar Heels have not won since the 2016-17 season. It also extends a streak under head coach Hubert Davis of not earning an early-season Multiple Team Event trophy; Carolina has not won one since he became the head coach in 2021.

UNC is now 4-2. Its third-place game against Michigan State will tip off at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time.

 

Featured image via AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson.

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