Auburn Falls to Alabama in Overtime Thriller, Entering Postseason on Two-Game Skid
Auburn’s final regular-season game ended in heartbreak as No. 7 Alabama edged out a 93-91 victory at Neville Arena on Saturday. Despite an incredible performance from All-American Johni Broome, who posted a career-high 34 points, Alabama’s Mark Sears delivered a game-winning jumper at the buzzer, sealing Auburn’s second straight loss heading into the postseason.
“These are two teams that have the talent to reach the Final Four,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said after the game. “Both teams played at a high level, but in the end, we didn’t defend well enough or rebound well enough to win.”
Broome’s Heroics Not Enough
Broome was dominant, showcasing why he is a frontrunner for National Player of the Year. In addition to his 34 points, he contributed eight rebounds, five blocked shots, three steals, and three assists in 43 minutes of action.
In overtime, Broome came up big again, hitting two clutch three-pointers—one giving Auburn a brief lead and the other tying the game with 15 seconds left.
“That’s what big moments are about,” Broome said. “I wanted the ball because my team needed me. Taking and making tough shots while you’re exhausted—that’s when you have to step up the most.”
However, with the game tied, Alabama had the final possession. Sears caught the ball with four seconds left, drove left, and drained a floater as time expired.
“We were supposed to switch on that last possession,” Pearl explained. “We didn’t execute it, and he got downhill to his left, which is where he’s most effective.”
The loss was a tough pill to swallow for Broome, who had hoped for a different outcome in his final home game.
“This is not the way I wanted to go out at Neville Arena,” Broome admitted. “I wish the ending had been different.”
Pettiford, Kelly, and Others Step Up
Freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford had a standout performance, scoring 19 points while adding four rebounds and six assists. Miles Kelly also contributed 13 points, while Dylan Cardwell chipped in six points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
Auburn, which trailed by three at halftime, surged early in the second half thanks to Kelly’s hot shooting. He knocked down three three-pointers in the first five minutes, giving Auburn the lead each time.
Broome later assisted Kelly on a layup that pushed Auburn’s advantage to 55-50, but Alabama quickly responded with a 6-0 run to reclaim the lead.
The Crimson Tide extended their lead to 65-57 after another 9-0 run, but Auburn fought back. In a momentum-shifting sequence, Broome and Cardwell threw down back-to-back dunks within a 15-second span, igniting the home crowd and forcing Alabama to call a timeout with Auburn trailing 65-62 and 9:05 remaining.
Denver Jones came up clutch, hitting a second-chance three-pointer to tie the game at 69-69 with 5:54 left. Shortly after, Broome made a defensive play with a steal, leading to two free throws from Jones that gave Auburn a one-point lead.
Auburn continued to battle, taking a three-point advantage after a left-handed layup from Jones. However, Alabama’s Labaron Philon answered with a deep three to tie the game once again.
Pettiford then found Cardwell for a dunk that briefly put Auburn ahead, but Grant Nelson responded with a three-pointer to give Alabama a 77-76 edge. Pettiford evened the score with a free throw, but Nelson struck again with a basket in the paint, putting Alabama back up by two.
With under a minute to play, Broome converted a layup to tie the game at 79-79. Auburn then secured a defensive stop, setting up Broome with a chance to win the game in regulation. He took a contested baseline fadeaway, but the shot rimmed out with three seconds remaining, sending the game into overtime.
“I wanted the final shot,” Broome said. “It’s a shot I take all the time. Looking back, I might have attacked the rim instead.”
First Half Recap: Auburn Battles Back from Early Deficit
Broome and Pettiford carried Auburn in the first half, combining for 30 of the team’s 42 points. Pettiford was particularly efficient, knocking down 4-of-5 from three-point range.
“We prepared for how they’d defend us,” Pettiford explained. “It was about reading the defense, coming off screens, and finding my shot.”
Chad Baker-Mazara opened the game with a floater, but that turned out to be Auburn’s only lead of the first half. Alabama controlled much of the early action, with Nelson scoring 15 of his team-high 23 points before halftime.
The Crimson Tide built an eight-point advantage, but Broome helped Auburn cut the deficit to three with a strong move in the paint just before halftime.
On the defensive end, Denver Jones and Cardwell provided a key stop before the break, forcing Alabama into a shot-clock violation that drew loud cheers from the home crowd. The Tigers trailed 45-42 at intermission.
Looking Ahead: Auburn Prepares for SEC Tournament
Despite back-to-back losses, Auburn enters the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament after winning the regular-season championship. The Tigers will begin tournament play in the quarterfinals on Friday at noon CT at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, facing an opponent yet to be determined.
“Winning a championship is something you carry with you forever,” Pearl said. “Nobody can take that away. But now it’s the postseason, and everything is about stepping up when it matters most.”
Broome echoed that mindset, shifting his focus to the tournament.
“It’s win or go home now,” he said. “We’re heading to Nashville with one goal: to win a championship.”
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