In the first ever meeting between two SEC teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2, the No. 1 Auburn Tigers defeated the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide 94-85 in Coleman Coliseum.
Fresh off an offensive performance that produced over 100 points, Alabama’s shooting went ice-cold due to solid defense on the inside and outside from Auburn. Falling down by as many as 14, Alabama battled back to tie the game at 65 with eight minutes to play, but that was as close as the game would get. The Crimson Tide failed to take the lead, making it the first time in the Nate Oats era that they were unable to do so.
"Between our free throws, not finishing at the rim, not getting as many 3s off, and then not making them anywhere close to the level that they did, that ends up being the difference," Oats said. "We need to do a better job executing the game plan. We need to do a little better job putting in the game plan as coaches."
Auburn’s defense held Alabama to just 19% from behind the three-point line, well below its average three-pointers made per game. The Tigers had a clear game plan that they were not going to let the Crimson Tide beat them from behind the arc, and it worked. Mark Sears had a team-high 18 points but was not very efficient. Sears finished shooting 4-of-17 from the field and 2-of-11 from three.
"They did a good job running us off the line, so we have to do a good job next time having a counter for that," Youngblood said after the game. "It's crucial that we move on and get ready for a good Missouri team that's been playing really well."
With the loss, Alabama falls a game behind Auburn in the SEC standings and continues what is deemed to be the most difficult remaining schedule in the country, with all of their remaining opponents ranked in the top 25.
Alabama will travel to Missouri on Wednesday at 8 p.m. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
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