CANCUN, Mexico (AP) K.D. Johnson scored 12 points, Allen Flanigan made a contested go-ahead layup with 31 seconds left and No. 13 Auburn Tigers held on to beat Northwestern Wildcats 43-42 on Wednesday night in the championship game of the Cancun Challenge.
Jaylin Williams made 3 of 6 from 3-point range and finished with 11 points for the Tigers (6-0).
Chase Audige hit Northwestern's second 3-pointer to take a 40-39 lead with 3 minutes to play. Wendell Green Jr. - Auburn's leading scorer at 14.0 per game - scored his only points when he hit a pull-up jumper with 1:43 to go then Audige answered with a layup to give the Wildcats a one-point lead 24 seconds later. After Robbie Beran stole a pass from Auburn's Johni Broome, Green created a Northwestern turnover that led to Flanigan's layup.
Johnson contested a potential winning jumper by Audige in the closing seconds that bounced off the backboard, deflected off Beran and was finally secured by Green.
Audige led Northwestern with 10 points, three blocks and two steals. The Wildcats shot 4 of 24 (16.7%) in the first half and finished shooting 25% (14 of 56) from the field and 2 of 24 (8.3%) from 3-point range.
The game was tied at 19 at halftime.
Northwestern missed its first 17 3-point shots before Ty Berry hit from behind the arc with 12:02 remaining to cap a 12-2 run that gave the Wildcats a 31-25 lead. Johnson answered with a three-point play before Williams hit a 3 then threw down a dunk to put Auburn back in front less than 2 minutes later.
Auburn shot 26% (13 of 50) from the field and made just 5 of 21 (23.8%) from behind the arc.
UP NEXT
Northwestern returns home to take on Pittsburgh in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Monday
Auburn plays at home Sunday against Saint Louis
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1st Half
AUB
Tigers
19
NW
Wildcats
19
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Johni Broome vs. Tydus Verhoeven (Wendell Green Jr. gains possession)
19:36
Wendell Green Jr. misses two point stepback jump shot
19:34
Johni Broome offensive rebound
19:31
Wendell Green Jr. misses three point jump shot
19:29
Robbie Beran defensive rebound
19:13
Boo Buie misses three point jump shot
19:11
Johni Broome defensive rebound
18:48
Chase Audige blocks Wendell Green Jr.'s two point layup
18:46
Tigers offensive rebound
18:46
Jaylin Williams turnover (bad pass) (Tydus Verhoeven steals)
18:26
Robbie Beran misses three point jump shot
18:24
Wendell Green Jr. defensive rebound
18:20
Robbie Beran shooting foul (Johni Broome draws the foul)
18:20
+1
Johni Broome makes regular free throw 1 of 2
1-0
18:20
Johni Broome misses regular free throw 2 of 2
18:20
Robbie Beran defensive rebound
18:08
Ty Berry misses three point jump shot
18:06
Tigers defensive rebound
17:52
+3
Jaylin Williams makes three point jump shot (Wendell Green Jr. assists)
4-0
17:17
Tydus Verhoeven misses three point jump shot
17:15
Wendell Green Jr. defensive rebound
17:02
Wendell Green Jr. turnover (lost ball) (Chase Audige steals)
16:54
Chase Audige misses two point stepback jump shot
16:52
Johni Broome defensive rebound
16:24
Jaylin Williams misses three point jump shot
16:21
Wildcats defensive rebound
16:20
K.D. Johnson personal foul (Robbie Beran draws the foul)
15:56
Ty Berry misses three point jump shot
15:54
Wendell Green Jr. defensive rebound
15:38
Tydus Verhoeven blocks Jaylin Williams's two point jump shot
15:36
Chase Audige defensive rebound
15:23
+2
Tydus Verhoeven makes two point jump shot (Boo Buie assists)
4-2
15:05
+2
Dylan Cardwell makes two point driving dunk (Allen Flanigan assists)
6-2
14:45
TV timeout
14:33
Robbie Beran misses two point jump shot
14:31
K.D. Johnson defensive rebound
14:26
Chase Audige blocks K.D. Johnson's two point layup
14:24
Tigers offensive rebound
14:19
+2
Allen Flanigan makes two point layup (Dylan Cardwell assists)
8-2
13:59
Brooks Barnhizer misses three point jump shot
13:57
Yohan Traore defensive rebound
13:40
Chance Westry misses three point jump shot
13:38
Yohan Traore offensive rebound
13:35
Official timeout
13:31
Chase Audige personal foul
13:11
Chase Audige blocks Chance Westry's three point jump shot
13:09
Matthew Nicholson defensive rebound
13:01
Boo Buie turnover (out of bounds)
12:45
Matthew Nicholson blocks K.D. Johnson's two point layup
12:45
Tigers offensive rebound
12:39
Chase Audige shooting foul (K.D. Johnson draws the foul)
12:39
+1
K.D. Johnson makes regular free throw 1 of 2
9-2
12:39
+1
K.D. Johnson makes regular free throw 2 of 2
10-2
12:26
Allen Flanigan personal foul
12:13
+2
Boo Buie makes two point layup
10-4
11:55
+3
Allen Flanigan makes three point jump shot
13-4
11:40
Boo Buie misses three point jump shot
11:38
Robbie Beran offensive rebound
11:34
+2
Robbie Beran makes two point putback layup
13-6
11:13
Johni Broome turnover (out of bounds)
11:13
TV timeout
10:51
Allen Flanigan personal foul
10:38
Boo Buie misses two point hook shot
10:36
Matthew Nicholson offensive rebound
10:37
Zep Jasper shooting foul (Matthew Nicholson draws the foul)
10:37
+1
Matthew Nicholson makes regular free throw 1 of 2
13-7
10:37
+1
Matthew Nicholson makes regular free throw 2 of 2
13-8
10:24
Chris Moore misses three point jump shot
10:22
Tydus Verhoeven defensive rebound
10:05
Chris Moore personal foul (Brooks Barnhizer draws the foul)
9:56
Robbie Beran misses three point jump shot
9:54
Tigers defensive rebound
9:54
Johni Broome personal foul
9:35
Dylan Cardwell blocks Boo Buie's two point layup
9:33
Wildcats offensive rebound
9:33
Boo Buie misses three point jump shot
9:31
Dylan Cardwell defensive rebound
9:28
Wendell Green Jr. misses three point jump shot
9:26
Dylan Cardwell offensive rebound
9:06
Wendell Green Jr. misses two point layup
9:04
Brooks Barnhizer defensive rebound
8:56
Robbie Beran turnover (out of bounds)
8:56
Dylan Cardwell misses two point layup
8:54
Tydus Verhoeven defensive rebound
8:17
Dylan Cardwell shooting foul (Tydus Verhoeven draws the foul)
8:17
Tydus Verhoeven misses regular free throw 1 of 2
8:17
Tydus Verhoeven misses regular free throw 2 of 2
8:17
Wendell Green Jr. defensive rebound
8:03
Wendell Green Jr. misses three point jump shot
8:01
Wildcats defensive rebound
7:47
Robbie Beran misses two point jump shot
7:45
Wendell Green Jr. defensive rebound
7:38
K.D. Johnson misses three point jump shot
7:36
Tydus Verhoeven defensive rebound
7:20
Ty Berry misses three point jump shot
7:18
Jaylin Williams defensive rebound
7:05
Chris Moore misses two point layup
7:03
Dylan Cardwell offensive rebound
7:02
+2
Dylan Cardwell makes two point putback layup
15-8
6:37
Dylan Cardwell blocks Boo Buie's two point layup
6:35
Wendell Green Jr. defensive rebound
6:31
Wendell Green Jr. turnover (bad pass)
6:31
TV timeout
6:08
Chase Audige misses two point jump shot
6:06
Tigers defensive rebound
5:38
Tre Donaldson turnover (traveling)
5:20
+2
Chase Audige makes two point layup
15-10
4:55
Allen Flanigan misses two point layup
4:53
Johni Broome offensive rebound
4:55
Ty Berry shooting foul (Johni Broome draws the foul)
4:55
+1
Johni Broome makes regular free throw 1 of 2
16-10
4:53
+1
Johni Broome makes regular free throw 2 of 2
17-10
4:25
Allen Flanigan personal foul (Ty Berry draws the foul)
4:25
+1
Ty Berry makes regular free throw 1 of 2
17-11
4:25
+1
Ty Berry makes regular free throw 2 of 2
17-12
4:10
Johni Broome misses two point hook shot
4:08
Chris Moore offensive rebound
4:05
Chris Moore misses two point layup
4:03
Matthew Nicholson defensive rebound
3:43
Boo Buie misses three point jump shot
3:41
Matthew Nicholson offensive rebound
3:40
Johni Broome shooting foul (Matthew Nicholson draws the foul)
3:40
TV timeout
3:40
Matthew Nicholson misses regular free throw 1 of 2
