The Auburn Tigers (23-2) rolled into Tuscaloosa and came away with a huge win against the Alabama Crimson Tide (21-4), the No. 2 team in the land. Not only are both teams among the top-ranked in the country, but they are historic in-state rivals.
The Auburn Tigers jumped out to an early double-digit lead as they led the Tide 14-4 within the first 3 minutes of the game. They ran an effective offense to start out, which kept them in the lead the entire first half.
Johni Broome was a big factor in the victory for the Tigers, as he notched up 19 points. His presence down low and ability to stretch the floor gave the Crimson Tide trouble all night. This opened up opportunities for the rest of the Auburn squad, who had multiple offensive threats.
The Alabama Crimson Tide showed impressive resilience though trailing the whole game. Their momentum and energy from the home crowd were factors in them cutting into the deficit.
A big three-pointer by Mark Sears reduced the margin to three with under ten minutes remaining in the second half.
But it just wasn’t enough. Every time Alabama made a run, the Tigers just did not let it rattle them. They didn’t blink not one time. The Tigers edged out the Crimson Tide, even while being outrebounded 49-40.
Along with Broome’s great offensive performance, Denver Jones contributed 16 points, while Miles Kelly added 15. Chad Baker-Mazara and Tahaad Pettiford were key contributors as well, both combining for 28 points off the bench.
Though the Crimson Tide came up short, Mark Sears notched up an aggressive 18 point-game, while Grant Nelson contributed a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Clifford Omoruyi scored eight points and grabbed 12 rebounds while Aden Holloway and Labaron Philon each scored 10 points for Alabama.
The SEC is arguably the best conference in college basketball right now, and Auburn has established itself as the best team in the nation, especially following the victory against No. 2 Alabama. With the SEC tournament just one month away, there could very well be much anticipation for it, considering the number of ranked teams that are in the conference.
Photo Creds: Gary Cosby Jr. / Gary Cosby. Jr.-Imagn Images / Montgomery Advertiser.com
Sources:
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401708390
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap/_/gameId/401708390
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/matchup/_/gameId/401708390
