Tide Wins At Auburn, Again

The Alabama Crimson Tide has risen from the dead. After a disheartening loss at Florida last Sunday the Tide has bounced back to beat Texas A&M at home and now Auburn on the road on Saturday. Bama played a fantastic second half to grab a 96-92 victory over the Tigers. The Tide improved to 16-7 overall and 6-4 in the SEC. Coach Nate Oats is now 8-5 against AU and 4-3 in their cute little high school arena. Auburn fell to 14-9 overall and 5-5 in conference play.

Oats went with the starting lineup of Labaron Philon, Aden Holloway, Latrell Wrightsell, Amari Allen, and Aiden Sherrell. Philon was a game time decision after suffering a bruised thigh in the Texas A&M game and Holloway is still nursing a painful wrist injury. Auburn countered with Tahaad Pettiford, Kevin Overton, Keshawn Murphy, Keyshawn Hallam and Sebastian Williams-Adams.

Wrightsell started the scoring with a three pointer and a quick 3-0 Tide lead. With 18:12 Bama led 5-4 after a Philon basket. That would be the last lead for the Tide for quite a while. With 12 minutes left in the half Auburn held a 14-10 mostly because of seven Alabama turnovers. On Wednesday night against Texas A&M’s all game full court press, the Tide only turned the ball over six times in the whole game.
The Tigers second flagrant foul of the half sent Allen to the line for two shots, which the freshman star knocked down. The lead fluctuated between four and six points for the home team until the Tigers went on a run and forged a lead of 36-26 with 2:27 left in the period. Taylor Bol Bowen has been suffering from injuries the last few games but was deemed able to play, albeit not at full speed. The FSU transfer stopped the bleeding by hitting a big three pointer, followed by another from Houston Mallette to cut the deficit to 36-32 with 1:17 left. Mallette drilled another from long range to cut the lead to 38-37 before the Tigers made a three for a 41-37 halftime lead.

In the first half the Tide shot 15-29 for 52% including 5-11 from three for 45%. The Tigers used the same strategy that Florida did against Bama, run them off the three point line. Alabama made 2-3 free throws, grabbed 15 rebounds, dished out nine assists, blocked four shots, grabbed two steals, and ended up with nine turnovers- after eight in the first eight minutes. Philon scored nine points to lead the team, adding three rebounds and four assists. Mallette was next with six points, followed by Wrightsell with five. The injury prone Wrightsell was taken off the floor with a few minutes left in the half and never returned to the game. Post game Oats said the grad student guard suffered a knee injury that will be looked at on Sunday.

Auburn shot 16-40 in the first half with 4-14 from deep and made 5-6 free throws. The Tigers won the battle of the boards with 21 rebounds, 10 of which were on the offensive end. AU had four assists, two blocks, seven steals, and only committed two turnovers. Overton scored 11 and Hall added 10. Murphy scored six and led the way with eight rebounds.

With Wrightsell unavailable, Oats went big with the lineup, inserting Charles Bediako into the starting five. Alabama and Bediako are waiting on Judge Daniel Pruett to rule on his eligibility after Fridays court case. AU scored first and led 44-37 with 19:23 left. That was the biggest lead the home team would manage. Allen hit a three and Bediako scored on a dunk and an old fashioned three point play to cut the lead to 50-47 at the 16:29 mark. London Jemison made his mark with a three pointer and a nice layup to tie the scores 54-54 with 14:06 on the clock.

The Tigers got yet another flagrant foul when Hall went up trying to block a Sherrell shot, but instead grabbed the big man’s head and neck. Sherrell calmly made both freebies, and Philon scored on the inbounds for a 58-54 Bama lead, a lead they never let go of over the last 12:59 of the game. Philon and Allen hit from downtown to keep the Tide in front. Sherrell scored down low for a 71-65 lead with just over eight minutes left. AU answered to stay close but a Philon three pointer and two free throws put Bama up 76-70 with 6:49 remaining.

Auburn cut the lead to one at 80-79 with 3:49 left, missing a free throw that would have tied the game. Allen hit a clutch long range jumper with a hand in his face for a 83-79 lead with just under three minutes left. Holloway made a three from the corner and was fouled and completed the four point play, making the score 87-81 with 2:30 on the clock. With under two minutes, and the shot clock running down, Holloway made a circus shot, stumbling, changing hands in midair, and making the shot for a 89-83 score. Holloway continued his run with three out of four feee throws and the Tide led 92-86 with 28 seconds left. Philon and Allen both hit 2-2 at the line to close out Bama’s scoring and give the gritty Tide the 96-92 win.

In the second half Alabama blistered the nets to the tune of 17-30 for 57%, 7-12 from deep for 58%, and 18-20 for 90% at the charity stripe. Overall the Tide finished 32-59 for 54%, 12-23 for 52% from deep, and 20-23 for 87% at the line. Bama finished with 30 rebounds, 17 assists, seven blocks, five steals, and 14 turnovers. The All American and SEC Player of the Year candidate, Philon, scored 25 points with five rebounds, six assists, two blocks and four turnovers. Three of the turnovers were in the first five minutes of the game. Allen did Allen things, 17 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Holloway enjoyed his home coming with 15 points, two rebounds, four assists, and a steal. Bediako was the hard hat winner with 12 points, three rebounds, and a steal. Sherrell scored six points, with three rebounds, one assist, and four big blocks. Sherrell actually had five blocks, but got called for a bogus goal tending call late in the game.

Auburn shot 17-31 for 55% in the second half, including 5-14 from three, and made 12-16 free throws. Overall the Tigers were 33-71 for 47%, 9-28 for 32% from deep, and 17-22 at the free throw line for 77%. AU won the rebounding battle with 35, 14 offensively, had 12 assists, four blocks, nine steals, and only five turnovers. Pettiford scored 25 points and added three rebounds and seven assists. Hall scored 24, Overton added 17, and Murphy had 13 points with 12 rebounds. All the other Tiger players combined for 13 points.

Auburn outscored the Tide 48-38 in the paint, 20-6 in points off of turnovers, and 12-3 on fast break points. However Bama’s bench out dueled the home team’s bench 28-7 and the Tide tallied 59 second half points.

Bama is set up pretty nicely over the next five games to get themselves back in the SEC race. The next games are: 1) at Ole Miss 2/11

2)South Carolina at home 2/14

3)Arkansas at home 2/18

4)at LSU 2/21

5) Mississippi State at home 2/25

Four of those are among the worst teams in the league, and the toughest team is a home game with Arkansas.
Right now it is looking like Florida and Tennessee are playing the best, most consistent, basketball in the league. If the Tide can continue to play with the effort they have shown the last two games, and get some players healthy, they have a chance to make some noise. The Bediako eligibility question is still being held over their heads, with no idea when Judge Pruett will make his ruling. Let’s ride this wave while we can.

Roll Tide