There is never a dull moment when Alabama and Auburn face off, and lucky for college basketball fans, Wednesday night’s matchup was no exception. The No. 8 Tigers, who were 16-2 and 5-0 in SEC play, were riding an 11-game win streak when they traveled to Tuscaloosa to take on the Crimson Tide who were 13-5 and 4-1 in SEC play.
Unfortunately for Auburn, their in-state rival was looking to end their hot streak and did just that. The game looked over by halftime with Alabama up 14, but as we know in rivalry matchups, the game is never over until the clock hits zero.
A second-half push by Auburn got them to within three points with less than five minutes to go. The game remained close until the end, where Alabama’s Mark Sears hit two free throws to give the Crimson Tide a 79-75 lead with nine seconds remaining. This ended up being enough for Alabama to take the win.
After losing to Tennessee last Saturday, this bounce-back victory set the Crimson Tide up nicely in the SEC standings. Alabama and Auburn now both sit at 5-1 in SEC play, sharing first place in the conference. Tennessee remains half a game back at 4-1. As conference play is just getting started, the standings remain close and should be a battle until the end.