The start of the 2024-2025 season was full of tests. So far, Auburn men’s basketball has made it through them all.

Just one day after beating No. 5 Iowa State in an 18-point comeback, Auburn returned to the Lahaina Civic Center on Tuesday night to defeat North Carolina 85-72.

It is the Tigers’ third win this season and sets up a game against Memphis in the Maui Invitational Championship on Wednesday afternoon.

Here are three lessons from the game:

The Johni Broome Show

Johni Broome is slowly making his case for the Naismith Award and Tuesday night was perhaps his best performance yet.

He had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the first half and finished the game with 23 points and 19 rebounds, both numbers being game highs. Broome’s 19 rebounds are a career high.

Broome’s presence was crucial for Auburn. With him off the floor, the Tigers looked like a completely different team as North Carolina went on a 10-2 run in the four minutes he was on the bench in the first half.

His impact was greater than just as a goalscorer, as he stood still from the field in the second half. Broome’s presence on defense and on the glass was a consistent positive for Auburn, finishing with six offensive rebounds and three blocks.

Occasionally accelerated

Both Auburn and North Carolina played at an almost frenetic pace Tuesday night, something Auburn hasn’t had to do much this season.

It favored the Tigers for part of the game, but also led to a few rushing possessions, something that seemed to favor North Carolina. Auburn shot the ball relatively well, but shot selection was questionable at times, especially in the first half.

Auburn nailed a lot of transition 3-pointers, some open, but some forced with more than 20 seconds left on the shot clock.

One thing Auburn did well despite the fast pace was take care of the ball. The Tigers finished with eight turnovers and forced 10, but led 15-6 in points off turnovers.

Anyone can hurt you

A big part of Tuesday’s win was Auburn’s depth.

The usual suspects such as Broome, Miles Kelly and Chad Baker-Mazara all played well, but the contributions from the bench from Tahaad Pettiford and Chaney Johnson also had a big impact on the game.

Auburn finished the game with six players in double figures, something that is slowly becoming an expectation for this team. Even with Broome having a quiet second half, Auburn’s offense never really slowed down.

When Broome scored calmly in the paint, Johnson stepped up and scored nine points in the second half. All of Auburn’s guards continued to shoot the ball well, allowing Auburn to play inside out the entire game.

It takes depth to beat teams like Iowa State and North Carolina on consecutive days. Auburn did just that and now has a chance to win the Maui Invitational.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn Sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X on @peter_rauterkus or email him [email protected]M