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Alabama Basketball: Tide Can’t Stop Short Handed Auburn Tigers

By Mike Parham

TUCSON, AZ - DECEMBER 09: Head coach Avery Johnson of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts during the first half of the college basketball game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center on December 9, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats defeated the Crimson Tide 88-82. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TUCSON, AZ - DECEMBER 09: Head coach Avery Johnson of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts during the first half of the college basketball game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center on December 9, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats defeated the Crimson Tide 88-82. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Despite only playing with seven scholarship players, the Alabama basketball team got out hustled by the Auburn Tigers

The Alabama basketball team got outplayed and outhustled from start to finish by the short and depleted Auburn Tigers.  Auburn (24-4) was a team on a mission, despite playing without key players Mustapha Heron and Anfernee McLemore.

This game was the second meeting between the Tide and Tigers, with each team winning on their home floor.  The 90-points surrendered by Alabama (17-11) was the most that the Tide allowed all season. This game also marks Alabama’s second loss this season to a ranked team, they are now 5-2.

Auburn started the game with an 8-0 run and never looked back en route to a 90-71 victory.  A key element in that run and most of the game was the exceptional three-point shooting from the Tigers. Auburn was able to hit 12 three-pointers against the Tide and finished the game with 19-assists. The Tigers led by as much as 24-points in the second-half.

Alabama, on the other hand, struggled with holding on to the ball, finding consistent offense and hustling.  The Tide committed 17 turnovers and allowed an undersized team to get 14 offensive rebounds.

From the opening tip, it was apparent that the Tide would struggle to find offense.  It took them five minutes to hit their first field goal and they had four turnovers in that span.

Freshman Collin Sexton led the Tide in scoring with 25-points, on 8-for-12 shooting, but that was the only bright spot for the Tide.  John Petty’s road woes continued tonight as he was 1-for-9 shooting for only three points. Donta Hall, who led the Tide in scoring in the last three games, only attempted two shots in the first half and finished with only seven points on four attempts.

Two players single-handedly stopped most Tide runs, Bryce Brown and Jared Harper.  They combined for 39-points and 6-of-21 from three-point land, one of which was a four-point-play.

Moving forward, the Tide will have to find a way to play motivated when they get down.  There are no excuses to stop hustling when there is a close game and the other team is only playing seven players. The Tide must lock back in on the defensive end and get back to feeding Donta Hall the ball in the post.

Next: Alabama Football: Can Tua lure a 5-Star Hawaiian ’19 defensive tackle?

Alabama’s next game is at home against the Arkansas Razorbacks at 5 PM CST.  This will be their first matchup with Arkansas (19-9) this season.

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