Alabama Basketball completes sweep of Auburn

Alabama basketball rallied from 17 down in the second half to defeat rival Auburn 90-85 in overtime on Wednesday night. With the win, Alabama improves to 26-4 overall, 17-1 in the SEC, and secures the outright SEC regular season title for the second time in three years.

The Crimson Tide didn’t give the restless crowd at Coleman Coliseum much to cheer for early, as it repeatedly missed shots and allowed Auburn to control the tempo.

The Tigers took a 7-point lead into the locker room at halftime. Bama opened the second half with three straight triples, as part of a 9-2 spurt that tied the game at 42. From there, Auburn would respond quickly with a 12-2 run of its own to take a commanding 10-point lead.

Over the next several minutes, the Tigers would continue its extended run. The spurt peaked at 24-7, giving Auburn a 66-49 lead midway through the second half.

Alabama Basketball: Quinerly plays hero

Just when it looked like everything was going the Tigers’ way, Jahvon Quinerly stepped up and began to lead the Tide back. He scored eight points in a 16-0 Alabama run that cut the lead to one and made it a ball game with under five minutes to go.

Quinerly would later convert a big three-point play, and, fittingly, hit two free throws to give Alabama its first lead of the game late in regulation. Auburn would battle back to force overtime, but Bama proved to be too much in the extra period.

Jahvon Quinerly has often been the subject of fan criticism throughout this season, but he saved the day against Auburn. Quinerly’s return from his ACL tear last March has not been one of linear progression. Instead, his season has been filled with ups and downs.

There were several moments where I thought Quinerly might be “back,” only for him to shoot poorly and commit way too many turnovers the very next game.

He truly looked like his old self against Auburn, scoring 24 points on 7-12 shooting. Quinerly added six assists and three steals, recording zero turnovers in the process. There is absolutely no way Alabama basketball would’ve won this game without him.

Backcourt mate Mark Sears added 17 points, hitting three three-pointers in the game. Freshman forward Noah Clowney scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Despite not playing well, freshman wing Brandon Miller contributed 17 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks. Miller shot just 3-12 from the field and was responsible for six turnovers, but he was locked in on defense and very productive from the free throw line.

Alabama Basketball wins in heated environment

This was a hard-fought game, and emotions ran high throughout the contest. Sophomore center Charles Bediako, freshman wing Rylan Griffen, and a staff member were all ejected from the game in the second half.

The three members of the Alabama basketball team were kicked out after leaving the bench area during an on-court scuffle between Jahvon Quinerly and Wendell Green Jr. Quinerly seemed to be in the middle of everything all night, particularly in the second half.

Auburn showed lots of grit in this game, battling a frenzied crowd as well as one of the nation’s best teams. The Tigers controlled much of the contest, ultimately taking Bama to the wire. Alabama showed plenty of resolve in its own right, refusing to crumble under the pressure of the game.

With the conference title on the line, the Crimson Tide came back from two separate double-digit deficits in the game. It trailed by as much as 12 in the first half, with Auburn taking a 35-23 lead at one point. Bama would come back to tie the game 42-42, before Auburn ran away again and took its biggest lead of the game at 17.

Alabama’s toughness and ability to win in unlikely scenarios has been on display all season. If the Crimson Tide can do what it has done all year in the postseason, it might be hanging a couple more banners.