AUBURN – The No. 12 Auburn Tigers (19-4, 8-2 SEC) picked up a 99-81 victory over the No. 16 Alabama Crimson Tide (16-7, 8-2 SEC) tonight at Neville Arena.
Auburn led for most of the way in the second round of the 2024 Iron Bowl of Basketball and achieved its goal of evening the series for the year.
What are the biggest takeaways from the game?
Depth played a factor
Thirty-one of Auburn's 99 points came from the bench. Chad Baker-Mazara led Auburn's bench in scoring with 13 points.
Only eight of Alabama's 81 points came from the bench. The Crimson Tide did not have a non-starter score more than three points.
Depth has been a strength for Auburn all season, and tonight was no different.
Auburn won on the glass
The rebounding battle was a major talking point coming into this game, and it ended up being a deciding factor.
Auburn out-rebounded Alabama 42-35 total, 15-14 on the offensive side and 27-21 on the defensive side.
Broome's seven led the way on the boards for Auburn.
As a result, Auburn totaled 24 second-chance points to Alabama's 12.
Auburn contained Alabama's offense
Alabama leads the SEC in scoring, averaging 89.9 points per game. Auburn held the Crimson Tide to 81.
Auburn has excelled defensively this season, and tonight was another example of just how well Auburn can play on that end of the floor.
Johni Broome and Jaylin Williams could not be denied
Auburn's forward duo had a game to remember. Williams led Auburn in scoring with 26 points, and Broome followed closely with 24.
Broome had seven rebounds, two assists and shot 7-16 from the field. Williams had six rebounds, one assist and shot 8-13 from the field.
Broome and Williams consistently make big impacts for Auburn, and this game was no different.
The turnover difference was significant
Auburn took care of the ball, only turning it over five times. Alabama, on the other hand, turned the ball over 15 times.
The Crimson Tide's high amount of turnovers led to 22 points for the Tigers while they only scored 10 points off turnovers.
Auburn returns to action on Saturday when it takes on the Florida Gators on the road in Gainesville. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT. The television broadcast can be found on SEC Network, and the Auburn Sports Network broadcast can be streamed anywhere on the Auburn Athletics app.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email daniel.locke@1819news.com.
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