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.

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.

They had gone unchecked by their first three opponents, but third-ranked Auburn provided that stiff test on Monday night in a battle of top-five ranked teams in the quarterfinals of the Maui Invitational.