Iowa State saw its 18-point lead evaporate in the second half, as Auburn rallied and won with a last-second tip-in during the Maui Invitational.

By the time Auburn took the lead with about four minutes to play, Iowa State snapped back into action, even taking an 81-79 lead with 50 seconds left off two Gilbert free-throws. But Auburn quickly answered, as Dylan Cardwell found Miles Kelly inside for a cutting layup, setting the stage for the pivotal last 30 seconds.

A tale of two halves may be a cliche phrase, but sometimes it is accurate. Monday's game between No. 4 Auburn and No. 5 Iowa State was one of those times.

The fifth-ranked Cyclones lost their first game of the season. Columnist Travis Hines gives his thoughts on what went right - and what didn't

The biggest separator of these teams is the level of competition each team has faced to this point. Auburn holds a win over the KenPom’s No. 1 team, Houston, while Iowa State’s best win is Kansas City, which ranks No. 236 in the KenPom entering Monday’s action.

No. 3 Auburn basketball returns to the hardwood on Tuesday after its stunning 83-81 win over No. 5 Iowa State in the first round of the Maui Invitational. Next up for the Tigers is a battle with No. 13 North Carolina with a trip to the championship game on the line.

My analysis The Maui Invitational is one of the toughest preseason tournaments in college basketball, with four of the Top 10 teams in the nation taking part. The Iowa State Cyclones and Auburn Tigers both come into their first-round matchup with undefeated records, though they’ve gotten here by slightly different means.

Auburn beats #5 Iowa State at the buzzer on a tip-in by Johni Broom. 83-81, Tigers, the final. Broom had 21 points for Auburn, Keshon Gilbert 23 for ISU, and one costly turnover. Fun, high energy game from