Alabama basketball has had plenty of game winning shots in the history of the program. Mark Sears added another one on Saturday, hitting a floater from the free throw line as time expired to lift the Crimson Tide to a road win over No. 1 Auburn.
The win gave Alabama some much-needed momentum heading into the postseason as it ended the Tide's two game losing streak and flipped the script from the previous Saturday when Tennessee beat Alabama in Knoxville on a shot at the buzzer.
Sears' shot is the latest game winner in Alabama history, but is it the best? Where does it rank alongside some of the more famous shots in the history for the Tide's basketball program?
The Top 5 game-winning shots in Alabama basketball history:
First, the honorable mentions that sadly just missed the list:
(In chronological order)
- Derrick McKey's game winning put back against Florida in 1987
- Elliot Washington's game winning three to beat Arkansas in the SEC Tournament in 1992
- Ronald Steele's game winning jumper against Georgia in 2007
- Anthony Brock's deep three beats Tennessee at the buzzer in 2009
- JaMychal Green's game winning tip in to beat Auburn in 2011
- Trevor Releford's half court game winner against Georgia in 2013
- Brandon Miller's game winning layup to beat South Carolina in overtime in 2023
The two toughest omissions from this list are Elliot Washington's three-pointer to beat Arkansas in the SEC semifinals in 1992 and Trevor Releford's half court buzzer beater to beat Georgia in 2013.
In terms of level of difficulty, it doesn't get much higher than a half court shot to win a game. Unfortunately, Releford's shot ended up meaning very little as the Tide's 2013 team still missed the NCAA Tournament and found themselves in the NIT, a consistent theme of the Anthony Grant era in Tuscaloosa.
5. 2025: Mark Sears beats Auburn with floater from the free throw line at the buzzer
No, this shot didn't win the SEC Championship for Alabama or clinch a 1-seed or anything like that. But it will still go down as one of the biggest shots in program history. Hitting a game winner is always special. Multiply that by 1000 when the game winner comes against your bitter rival, especially when you can do it in their own gym and spoil the last home game for their group of seniors.
Sears had only scored seven points prior to that shot, but Nate Oats trusted him with the game on the line. Auburn's Johni Broome had just tied the game on a corner three the previous possession. Coming out of a timeout, Sears faked a dribble hand-off to Labaron Philon, which caused Denver Jones to freeze for a split second. That was just enough time for Sears to gain a little separation going to his left and to get off a mostly uncontested free-throw line floater.
The stunned silence of the Neville Arena crowd and the dejected look on the face of Broome and the rest of the Auburn team while Alabama celebrates makes the moment so much sweeter.
Contrary to popular belief among Auburn fans, however, it is not the biggest moment or shot in program history.
4. 1986: Terry Coner hits a jumper to beat Illinois in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament
Wimp Sanderson led Alabama to three consecutive Sweet 16 appearances in the 1980s. In order to do so for the second straight year in 1986, 5-seeded Alabama needed some Terry Coner heroics at the buzzer to knock off 4-seeded Illinois.
Coner led Alabama with a double-double of 12 points and 10 assists. He hit the game winning jumper from the foul line to give the Crimson Tide a 58-56 win.
As was often the case for so long, the Sweet 16 was the glass ceiling for the program. Alabama lost to 1-seeded Kentucky 68-63 in the Sweet 16 to end the season.
3. 2004: Antoine Pettway hits a runner to beat Southern Illinois in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament
Until last year's Final Four run, the best tournament run in Alabama history happened in 2004 when the Crimson Tide made an improbable run to the Elite 8 as an 8-seed. That run very nearly ended prematurely in the opening round agaisnt 9-seeded Southern Illinois.
But Antoine Pettway came through in the clutch as he did so often during his Alabama career. He hit a runner from the free-throw line with just a little over five seconds remaining to lift the Tide to a 65-64 win in the opening round.
Two days later, Alabama took down 1-seeded Stanford in a 70-67 upset in Seattle. The Tide advanced to the Elite 8 for the first time in program history by knocking off defending national champion Syracuse in the Sweet 16 before running into the UConn buzzsaw in the Regional Final.
2. 2018: Collin Sexton hits buzzer beater to beat Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament
In terms of most important shots in program history, they don't get much bigger than Collin Sexton's game winner to beat Texas A&M in the 2018 SEC Tournament. In terms of most important recruits in Alabama history, they don't get much bigger than Sexton, either.
The Avery Johnson era didn't go as anyone hoped, but he certainly could recruit. The crown jewel of his recruiting efforts was the 5-star Sexton, who came to the Crimson Tide with as much hype as any recruit in program history.
Despite Sexton being as awesome as advertised, a late season swoon had Alabama squarely on the bubble heading into the SEC Tournament. Alabama lost its final five games of the regular season, including a heartbreaker to the same Aggies team in College Station five days before.
Alabama had to win at least one SEC Tournament game to make the NCAA Tournament. Trailing by one with a little over four seconds to play, Sexton donned his Superman cape and went coast-to-coast, hitting a runner in the lane as time expired to lift Alabama to the win.
That win clinched a tournament berth for the Crimson Tide, their first and only of the Johnson era. The next day Alabama blew out Auburn in the SEC quarterfinals to remove any bubble talk.
In the NCAA Tournament, Sexton led Alabama to an opening round win over Virginia Tech before the Tide got blown out by eventual national champion Villanova in the Round of 32.
1. 2002: Antoine Pettway's layup beats Florida, delivers SEC Championship to Alabama
Younger Alabama fans might have Sexton's shot at No. 1, but it'll be difficult to supplant Antoine Pettway's winner against Florida in 2002. It's one of the best moments in program history, period, not just the best game winner.
It had been 15 years since Alabama won an SEC regular season title and the Crimson Tide had a shot to clinch a share of it at home against Florida late in the 2002 regular season. Trailing by one, Mo Williams rebounded a missed Florida free throw and brought the ball up the court and got to Earnest Shelton.
Shelton drove toward the basket but got himself in trouble and was trapped by two Florida defenders as the clock ticked toward zero. But the Gators forgot about Pettway, who wisely cut toward a wide-open basket. Shelton found him and Pettway hit a layup as time expired to give Alabama the win and its first SEC title in 15 years.
To this day, it's the only time I can remember a genuine court-storming at Coleman Coliseum. It was well earned.