Why was Chad Baker-Mazara ejected? Auburn senior earns Flagrant 2 during heated matchup vs Alabama

Chad Baker-Mazara and the top-ranked Auburn Tigers lost 93-91 to the seventh-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in their SEC regular-season finale at Neville Arena on Saturday. However, Baker-Mazara wasn’t around for the thrilling overtime finish, as he was ejected in the second half of the heated matchup.

Baker-Mazara got called for a Flagrant 2 foul after elbowing the back of Chris Youngblood's head with 10:52 remaining in the second half. The two players were battling for position during a rebounding sequence when the incident occurred. The referees reviewed the play on the monitor and decided to eject Baker-Mazara.

Losing Chad Baker-Mazara for the remainder of the contest was a significant blow for the Tigers, who trailed the Crimson Tide 62-57 at the time. Baker-Mazara had seven points, three assists, two rebounds and one steal before his ejection. He shot 2-for-7 from the field and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line.

Chad Baker-Mazara's ejection haunts Auburn as Alabama records upset win in OT

Chad Baker-Mazara was an important piece for coach Bruce Pearl. He entered the contest averaging 13.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. The Auburn Tigers still clawed their way back in the ballgame despite Baker-Mazara's absence, outscoring the Alabama Crimson Tide 22-17 the rest of regulation to force overtime.

Johni Broome had an opportunity to give Auburn the win but he missed the go-ahead jumper in the dying seconds of regulation. That proved to be crucial for the Tigers, who lost the game in heartbreaking fashion in overtime.

Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome (#4) reacts after the Alabama Crimson Tide beat his team in overtime at Neville Arena. Photo: Imagn

Mark Sears broke Auburn's hearts, sinking the game-winning basket at the buzzer to silence the home crowd. The senior guard's floater found the bottom of the net with no time left to help Alabama end its two-game losing streak. Sears finished the game with nine points and seven assists.

It was a gut-wrenching defeat for the Tigers, marking their first back-to-back losses of the season. Broome led the Tigers with 34 points, including a game-tying 3-pointer with 15 seconds left in overtime.

Broome shot 15-for-28, including 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. He stuffed the stat sheet with eight rebounds, five blocks, three steals and three assists in 43 minutes of action.

Tahaad Pettiford and Miles Kelly were the other Auburn players to score in double figures, dropping 19 and 13 points, respectively.