In a pivotal SEC basketball game, Alabama triumphed over Auburn with a 79-75 win at Coleman Coliseum. Alabama's coach, Nate Oats, who had questioned his team's resilience in tough games, saw his team respond with a strong performance, including overcoming an early deficit with a 9-0 run. The home crowd's energy was palpable, providing a significant advantage. Auburn, the underdog with a 16-2 record and no quad 1 wins, faced their toughest opponent and environment yet, struggling with turnovers. Grant Nelson's reverse dunk and one was a highlight, while Chad Baker-Mazara missed a critical free throw for Auburn. Nate Oats acknowledged the challenge ahead, stating, 'If we play like we did tonight, we’ll lose at their place.' The teams are set for a rematch in 14 days at Neville Arena.
Honestly one of the best crowds in recent memory. They were loud from the jump and so engaged. https://t.co/dIQksksSj3
Here is everything Nate Oats said after Alabama's 79-75 win over No. 8 Auburn on Wednesday evening. "I thought we showed some toughness that we lacked up in Tennessee. We showed some fight." 🔗: https://t.co/oyPqfFQThV https://t.co/tGZbIpJzaK
Milan Momcilovic goes to the line for the technical free throws. He makes 1-2 on the first pair from the Tang T. He follows it up with two more. 69-62, Iowa State. 2:00 to go.
Both K-State free throws are missed. That's three misses from the line in a row for KSU. Cyclones lead 63-61, with three minutes to play.
👉 BIG GAME WRAP: A look at the hows and whys behind Auburn's difficult loss at Alabama. What can be learned from this one? A whole lot. https://t.co/IHldUQgCaL
Nate Oats on Auburn: “If we play like we did tonight, we’ll lose at their place.”
Iowa State forced a turnover and got the breakaway, but Robert Jones is called for the foul going for the rebound. On the next possession, Robert Jones is called for another foul - T.J. Otzelberger letting an official hear it.
Nate Oats: "The crowd was unbelievable. We needed the crowd tonight, and they showed up in a big way. ... We need every game in the SEC to look like that if we're trying to win this thing."
FINAL | Alabama 79, No. 8 #Auburn 75 For the second-straight season, the Tigers lose at Coleman Coliseum. They fall to 16-3, 5-1 SEC. In 14 days? The rematch. At Neville Arena. https://t.co/S4X8fHRTqf
Alabama wins, 79-75. Fantastic college basketball game. Big win for the Tide, needed to hold serve at home.
Alabama fouls up three with 10.8 seconds left. WAY too much time to do that. Have to wait until it's under five.
This is the first game all season in which Chad Baker-Mazara has missed multiple free throws.
Chad Baker-Mazara on the line for Auburn with three free throws down three. Makes the first two, misses the third, and Nelson gets the rebound. Headed to the line with Auburn leading 75-74 and 11.8 secs to play.
Baker-Mazara, an 88.7% foul shooter this season, goes 2-3 with a chance to tie it at the line.
CBM goes 2 for 3 at the line. It's Alabama ball, up 75-74. 11.8 seconds left.
Coleman Coliseum is deafening as Auburn's Chad Baker-Mazara shoots three free throws with 12.6 seconds left. He makes the first two then misses the third, with Grant Nelson pulling down the rebound. Alabama leads, 75-74, with 11.8 seconds left.
Gracious sakes alive Grant Nelson fouls the three point shooter up three!
Holy crap. Chad Baker-Mazara gets fouled on a junk 3. He's going to the line with a chance to tie it.
Chad Baker-Mazara is fouled on a 3. Going to the line for a chance to tie it with 12.6 left.
Grant Nelson gets the biggest roar from the Coleman Coliseum crowd after he puts back a Mark Sears miss for a dunk with a minute left, giving Alabama a 5-point lead over Auburn. Nelson also came down with a big rebound and was fouled on the prior possession.
Let the record show that my wife questioned whether Bama’s Grant Nelson should ever take another shot in his basketball career … and two seconds later Nelson threw down a reverse dunk through contact for an and-1. https://t.co/OhSaosr9hv
#UVA has a 52-31 edge on the glass tonight. I had to read that three times. 'Hoos lead State 56-53 with 32.5 to play. Virginia has the ball under the far basket.
Grant Nelson just experienced the full basketball spectrum from a horribly airballed 3-pointer to making a reverse dunk while getting fouled.
Grant Nelson has to be one of the only players in basketball history to airball a 3 and throw down a reverse and-one dunk in the same possession.
Nate Oats at halftime to @UA_CTSN: "Once we settled down and started getting some stops after that first four minutes, we were good. We just haven't had very good starts. We've got to take care of the ball. Rylan obviously was ready to go. We needed some firepower off the bench.… https://t.co/12HpqsNxtb
the roughest first half of basketball in a while for Auburn, which trails Alabama by 14 at the break toughest team the Tigers have faced so far, toughest environment they've played in so far Alabama got extremely hot from deep and Auburn didn't handle the ball very well, either https://t.co/v8NqbayJH8
Some of the loudest moments I've heard in Coleman Coliseum. Alabama leads Auburn, 44-30 at halftime.
Mark Sears just got hit with a technical foul after a review, looked like he threw the ball at Chad Baker-Mazara after the foul
Baaaaaaad stretch for Virginia that has included turnovers, misses, and just bad shot selection. State within three, 5:43 to play.
Bad stretch for Iowa, which now trails 46-45 and Maryland shooting two out of the break. New five for Hawkeyes: Bowen, Harding, Perkins, Sandfort, Brauns.
Audible groan from the Coleman Coliseum crowd after Grant Nelson misses under the rim then bricks a three-pointer.
Credit where credit is due. Coleman Coliseum is loud tonight. Crowd is plugged into a live wire. Tide leads, 20-18.
Alabama fights back with a 9-0 run to take a 17-16 lead in an energized Coleman Coliseum. It's like the light suddenly went on with the Tide.
Good energy in Coleman Coliseum. Auburn bringing more power, leading 14-6 after almost 5 minutes.
Play resumes and Alabama calls a timeout within seconds. (Mark Sears was getting double-teamed.)
Officials determine it is LSU basketball with 19 seconds left on the shot clock. Well, okay then https://t.co/4rhJDo2XLe
We’ve got about 35 minutes until tip-off between Georgia and LSU. Students have shown up ready to go for another big SEC matchup https://t.co/mlHOU3PfdY https://t.co/gH12ZiNR92
Excited to watch tonight's Iron Bowl basketball game. Really interesting and important game for both programs, and the league. Auburn's been so good, but I still think Bama has another gear it can get to if it'll just try to play a little defense.
“We know this is our place and this is where we practice every day, and in this league if you defend your home court you have a chance to be very successful.” Georgia aims to use Stegeman Coliseum to its advantage tonight against LSU https://t.co/mlHOU3PN3w
Auburn will be an underdog tonight at Alabama, a place where long winning streaks have died before — and a huge lead was erased just last season but the Tigers want to prove that they’re different and they could “do something special” this year preview! https://t.co/AQ8kXdFsjQ
Nate Oats has challenged his team ahead of Auburn game. “Or do we just got a lot of really talented players that fold when they're in the middle of tough games against good teams?” Huge test for both teams tonight. Auburn is 16-2 with 0 quad 1 wins. 7:30et ESPN
The atmosphere last night in Columbia was something I didn’t expect. Absolutely phenomenal. And the players definitely fed off it. https://t.co/kzdn8vCvy9