No. 16 Alabama suffered their second SEC loss of the season Wednesday night at No. 12 Auburn by a score of 99-81, creating a log-jam at the top of the SEC standings.
It was a back-and-forth game for most of the first half until Auburn rattled off a 16-2 scoring run that the Crimson Tide could never recover from as the Tigers earned the victory, and the season series ended in a split.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
Denied on the Inside
Alabama’s offense is based on taking three-pointers and easy twos around the rim. Wednesday, Alabama was unable to be very successful at either, especially scoring on drives to the hoop. Auburn’s long defenders were a significant factor as they recorded 12 total blocks and altered multiple shots against the Tide.
Alabama Losses the Ref Show
On Wednesday, the refs became the center of attention in a matchup between two top-20 teams. While the home team got more calls as expected, the problem was not the discrepancy but the number of fouls called. Sixty-one fouls were called on the two teams, resulting in 85 free throw attempts. Unfortunately for Alabama, Auburn converted 40 free throw attempts to just 28 for the Crimson Tide.
Bama Beat at Their Own Game
Alabama thrives on playing at a fast pace and scoring buckets in transition. Against Auburn, Alabama struggled to produce any offense in transition and got beat at their own game. Auburn generated 26 fast break points while holding Alabama to just eight.
Turnover Troubles
In a hostile environment, Alabama looked lost, making mistakes that usually wouldn’t occur. Alabama struggled to protect the ball, allowing Auburn to convert nine first-half turnovers into 15 points. The Crimson Tide made a few corrections in the second half and only turned the ball over six times in the final 20 minutes, allowing the Tigers to finish the game with 22 points off turnovers.
Next up for Alabama is a road trip at LSU on Saturday, February 10, at 11 a.m. CT.
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