Auburn Tigers and Alabama delivered another high-octane rivalry matchup at Neville Arena on Saturday, with the Crimson Tide emerging victorious 93-91 in overtime. Grant Nelson led the home team with 23 points and eight rebounds while Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome posted 34 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks.
Bruce Pearl's lineup suffered a major blow behind guard Chad Baker-Mazara's ejection after a flagrant-2 foul in the middle of the second half. After the visitors managed to push the game past regulation, Bama senior Mark Sears hit a timely floater to give the hosts a 2-point win.
X lit up as college hoops fans wasted no time in rubbing salt on AU's loss after the program updated its handle with the final score:
"Are y'all good at anything?!" a fan wrote.
"This team has lost its momentum, intensity, and edge. Peaked too early once again. Also has no business being a 1 seed after losing to the updykes at home. We’ll be out by the 3rd round. #Choke," a user commented.
"This team is all hype. Not made for March.," another fan added.
More fans joined in:
"This is why I don’t fear auburn they always seem to get jitters and lose games they shouldn’t in March," a user wrote.
"Time to get that AUBURN BEING AUBURN hat out, Bruce!!!!!" another fan commented.
"Yall frauds been exposed talk ain’t number 1 trust me good game tho fellas," a user added.
What does Auburn's SEC tournament slate look like?
Bruce Pearl's team has earned two bye games behind their SEC-leading 15-3 conference run for the tournament. They will sit out the first and second rounds on Mar. 12 and 13 and will begin play in the quarterfinals.
AU's first game will be against either South Carolina, Arkansas or Ole Miss. The Gamecocks and the Razorbacks play tournament opener at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The winner of the contest will meet the Rebels in the second round.
The Auburn Tigers have won against all three of its potential quarterfinal opponents in the regular season. It defeated Ole Miss twice in February with a double-digit score differential. A 67-60 home win against Arkansas came on Feb. 19.
South Carolina gave Bruce Pearl the toughest contest of the lot. AU scored only four points in the last five minutes of the Jan. 10 game to escape with a 66-63 win at the Colonial Life Arena.
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