The magnitude of Wednesday night’s “Iron Bowl of basketball” matchup between No. 8 Auburn and Alabama speaks volumes to the state of college basketball in the state of Alabama.
While Bruce Pearl and the visiting Auburn Tigers waltz into Alabama’s Coleman Coliseum with an 11-game win streak and an unscathed SEC record, Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide have history on their side as the Tigers are just 6-46 from inside the confines of Coleman Coliseum.
Not to mention, Alabama swept the two-game series last season — something Pearl said “doesn’t sit great.”
“We played them well, twice, last year. We led for 60-some odd minutes in those two 80-minute games. We weren’t able to finish,” Pearl said of Alabama Tuesday. “They obviously had a great team a year ago as well. So we recognize we got beat twice by them last year. And that’s something that, at Auburn, when it’s your rival, it’s obviously something that doesn’t sit great.”
So on Wednesday night at 6:30, the rivalry renews for its 2024 edition as Alabama looks to snap Auburn’s 11-game win streak, while the Tigers will look to keep their flawless SEC record alive.
Follow along for updates:
Pregame | Starting lineups
For Auburn:
- G Aden Holloway
- G Denver Jones
- F Chris Moore
- F Jaylin Williams
- F Johni Broome
For Alabama:
- G Mark Sears
- G Latrell Wrightsell Jr.
- G Aaron Estrada
- F Grant Nelson
- F Nick Pringle
First half
19:31 — Auburn wins the opening tipoff and the Tigers capitalize as Johni Broome hits a game-opening 3-pointer. However, the game sees a stoppage quick due to issues with the lighting at Coleman Coliseum.
19:31 — After a 16-minute delay, game play resumed, picking up where it left off after Broome’s left-wing 3-point basket.
16:14 — KD Johnson hits a mid-range jumper to put Auburn out front 10-4. On the other end of the floor, Jarin Stevenson misses a corner 3-pointer. The Tigers are shooting the ball at a 75% clip to the Crimson Tide’s 43% clip early.
15:06 — More technical difficulties at Coleman Coliseum force a brief stoppage as the shot clock lighting that outlines the backboard got stuck in the “on” position and remains illuminated. The stoppage occurred as Auburn led Alabama 14-6 behind Johni Broome’s 10 points.
14:12 — Mark Sears drives his way right past the Auburn defense and into the lane for an easy 2-point bucket to trim Alabama’s lead. On the Crimson Tide’s next trip down the floor, Rylan Griffen nailed a 3-pointer to bring the game to 16-11 in Auburn’s favor.
13:38 — Rylan Griffen hits his second 3-pointer in less than one minute to bring the game within one possession.
13:00 — Latrell Wrightsell knocks down Alabama’s third-straight 3-pointer to give the Crimson Tide its first lead of the night.
11:57 — Rylan Griffen’s heater continues as he knocks down his third 3-pointer of the half and Alabama’s fourth in less than three minutes. The Crimson Tide leads the Tigers 20-18.
9:53 — Rylan Griffen scores his 12th point of the night with his fourth-straight 3-pointer to put the Crimson Tide out front by five points.
7:24 — A 2-point bucket from Denver Jones pulls Auburn back within one point as the game goes to a media timeout. With Alabama out front 25-24, Rylan Griffen leads the Tide’s scoring efforts with 12 points, while Johni Broom leads the Tigers’ scoring efforts with 14 points.
6:32 — KD Johnson commits Auburn’s sixth turnover with an unforced errant pass out of bounds. While the Tigers have tallied six turnovers, the Crimson Tide have only committed a pair.
5:09 — Auburn’s KJ Johnson puts in an acrobatic bucket to bring Auburn back within one point. Alabama leads 27-26.
4:05 — Alabama nails its sixth 3-pointer of the game with one from the corner from Jarin Stevenson, stretching Alabama’s lead back out to four points. The Crimson Tide are 6-for-13 from beyond the arc, while the Tigers are 1-for-7.
3:04 — Alabama secures its largest lead of the night (9 points) with another shot from beyond the arc — this time from Latrell Wrightsell. With Wrightsell’s make, the Crimson Tide is 7-for-14 from deep.
2:30 — Alabama’s Mark Sears is hit with a technical foul after tossing the basketball at the feet of Auburn’s Chad Baker-Mazara after Baker-Mazara fouled Sears.
:59 — After Auburn goes 0-for-3 on consecutive trips down the floor, Latrell Wrightsell nails another deep shot for the Crimson Tide to give Alabama a double-digit lead, 42-30.
Halftime | Alabama leads Auburn 44-30
While Alabama is living by the 3 ball with an 8-for-17 3-point shooting performance in the first half, Auburn is dying by the 3 ball with its 1-10 3-point shooting performance.
Behind his 4-for-5 3-point shooting effort, Alabama’s Rylan Griffen leads the Crimson Tide’s scoring efforts with 14 points, while Auburn’s Johni Broome leads the Tigers with 16 points.
Second half
19:24 — Auburn finally ends its 3-point drought with a make from Denver Jones to open scoring in the second half. Tigers trail 44-33.
17:25 — After both the Tigers and Crimson Tide heaved and miss a handful of 3-point attempts, Auburn’s Johni Broome slammed in a dunk to bring the Tigers back within seven points of the lead and forcing Alabama’s Nate Oats to take a timeout with the Crimson Tide out front 44-37 after the Tigers’ 7-0 run to open the second half.
16:40 — Auburn’s Johni Broome scores his 20th point of the night with another dunk out of Alabama’s timeout. Auburn now trails Alabama by just five.
15:33 — Alabama’s Grant Nelson finishes through contact as the shot clock expired on a big dunk to stop Auburn’s run. Nelson was tagged on the way to the rim and converted the 3-point play to put Alabama out front 47-39.
14:57 — A pair of made free throws from Grant Nelson stretches Alabama’s lead back out to double digits with the Crimson Tide out front 49-39.
13:58 — Auburn’s Tre Donaldson knocks down a corner 3-ball to cut the game to five points. Alabama leads Auburn 49-44.
12:21 — Auburn’s Jaylin Williams puts back a bucket to bring the Tigers within four, only for Mark Sears to make easy work of the Tigers’ defense on the other end.
11:30 — Auburn’s Tre Donaldson and Alabama’s Mark Sears trade 3-point blow and the Crimson Tide leads the Tigers 57-51.
10:09 — A 3-point make from Auburn’s Chris Moore pulls the Tigers within three points.
9:15 — Auburn’s Tre Donaldson picks a pocket and goes coast-to-coast before a big slam dunk to put Auburn back out front for the first time since the middle of the first half. Auburn leads Alabama 58-57.
7:13 — A long 3-ball from Rylan Griffen allows Alabama to build its lead back out to five points as the Crimson Tide lead the Tigers 65-60.
5:59 — Auburn’s Johni Broome makes a strong move to the rum, makes the bucket and draws the foul. Broome goes on to convert the three-point play to bring the Tigers within two points.
4:19 — A tough move from Chad Baker-Mazara knots the game up at 67-all.
3:05 — Alabama’s Grant Nelson goes 1-for-2 from the free throw line and the Crimson Tide leads the Tigers 70-67.
2:43 — Auburn’s Chad Baker-Mazara goes 1-for-2 from the free throw line to bring the game back within two point with Alabama up 70-68.
2:09 — Jaylin Williams puts home a layup for Auburn, trimming the Tigers’ deficit to one point.
1:39 — A pair of made free throws from Grant Nelson puts Alabama back on top by three points, 73-70.
:58 — Grant Nelson slams down a put-back dunk to stretch Alabama’s lead out to five points.
:48 — Auburn’s KD Johnson goes 2-for-2 from the free throw line to bring it back within one possession for the Tigers.
:12.6 — Auburn’s Chad Baker-Mazara gets tagged during a 3-point attempt, which will send him to the free-throw line with a chance to tie the game.
:11.8 — Baker-Mazara goes 2-for-3 from the line as Alabama holds on to its 75-74 lead.
:11.8 — On the other end, Alabama’s Grant Nelson is fouled and will go to the line for two shots after an Auburn timeout. Nelson goes 2-for-2 from the line to put Alabama out front 77-74.
:10.8 — With a foul, Jaylin Williams is sent to the free throw line for Auburn and goes 1-for-2, making it 77-75 in Alabama’s favor.
:8.6 — Alabama’s Mark Sears is fouled by Auburn’s Johni Broome on the inbound pass, good for Broome’s fifth foul, ending Broome’s night. At the line, Sears went 2-for-2 to put the Crimson Tide up by two possessions.
FINAL | Alabama 79, Auburn 75
Alabama successfully snaps No. 8 Auburn’s 11-game win streak with a four-point upset from Alabama’s Coleman Coliseum.