Auburn outlasted Alabama 94-85 to claim the first 1-2 matchup in SEC history, with Johni Broome putting up a 19-point, 14-rebound double-double even while not fully healthy.
Broome re-aggravated his left ankle, landing awkwardly after going up for a floater in the midst of a 10-0 Alabama run, where Chris Youngblood tied the game at 68. With Broome stuck on the bench, freshman Tahaad Pettiford anchored the Tigers off with nine points in the second half alone. The guard went 4-for-6 from the field going into the media timeout with under four minutes left to play.
Pettiford, Denver Jones and Miles Kelly all recorded double-digits for the Tigers in the second half to outpace the momentum of the Crimson Tide.
Alabama entered halftime trailing for the first time this season, shooting just 31% from the field and 13.3% from deep.
Auburn opened the second half raining 3-pointers, with Denver Jones sinking consecutive 3-pointers to extend the Auburn lead to 13 points, 48-35.
Led by Mark Sears, the Crimson Tide rolled onto its unanswered run to overcome Auburn’s hot start and come within striking distance of the Tiger lead.
With the help of its supporting cast, the Tigers made eight of its last 10 field goals going into the final minute of play to all but seal the win.
