Auburn vs. Alabama score: No. 1 Tigers too much for No. 2 Crimson Tide in historic showdown of top two teams

Auburn's Bruce Pearl becomes first coach to win a No. 1 vs. No. 2 game with two different schools

By David Cobb

Feb 15, 2025 at 7:28 pm ET • 1 min read

College basketball's first game between No. 1 and No. 2 in over three years met the hype on Saturday, as top-ranked Auburn edged Alabama 94-85 in front of a rowdy crowd at Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide mounted a furious second half rally but never led as they struggled to a 5-of-26 shooting mark from 3-point range.

Auburn took the lead on a Miles Kelly 3-pointer 15 seconds into the game and never relinquished it until Alabama forward Grant Nelson's dunk tied the score at 68 with 7:23 remaining. Nelson's dunk was part of a 10-0 run that resurrected a cold-shooting Crimson Tide team.

But just when it looked like Alabama was going to turn the tide completely, Auburn struck back with a 9-1 run of its own to retake control with under five minutes remaining.

The high-stakes rivalry showdown marked the first game between top-ranked teams from the same state since 2008 (when Auburn coach Bruce Pearl led No. 2 Tennessee over No. 1 Memphis), and it brought plenty of intensity. At one point in the second half, Alabama coach Nate Oats had to get on the microphone and ask fans not to throw things on the court.

Key Auburn pieces Chad Baker-Mazara and Dylan Cardwell fouled out, but the Tigers made it to the finish line without them. Star center Johni Broome appeared to aggravate an ankle injury in the second half but returned and hit a dagger of a hook shot with 1:09 remaining to put the Tigers ahead 88-78.

Tuff Haad😤 pic.twitter.com/JkJHHcRyLy
— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) February 15, 2025

Updates

(32)

See New Posts

Pinned

Link copied

Alabama's perimeter struggles

Alabama's five made 3-pointers tied a season-low, and the 19.1% mark beyond the arc was a season-worst. For a brief moment in the second half, the Crimson Tide showed how lethal they could, as Mark Sears hit a pair of 3-pointers in a 59-second span. Those makes corresponded with the game-tying run that temporarily swung momentum in Alabama's favor. But the perimeter marksmanship was short-lived. Sears finished just 2 of 11 from deep and needed 17 shots from the floor to reach 18 points. Auburn deserves ample credit for its role in the nightmare shooting performance. The Tigers entered atop the SEC in 3-point shooting defense, holding opponents to just 28.8% 3-point shooting in league games. That mark only got better Saturday as the Tigers showed their teeth defensively.

Pinned

Link copied

Tahaad Pettiford answers the bell

With Alabama on its run in the second half, Auburn needed an answer. Tahaad Pettiford provided it. The freshman guard drilled a 3-pointer at the 7:31 mark to return the lead to Auburn after Alabama tied it up Then, he made tough layups on consecutive possessions with just under five minutes remaining to help the Tigers extend their lead again. Pettiford capped off his strong second half with a pair of critical free throws with under two minutes remaining while cementing himself as the top freshman on the court. Alabama guard Labaron Philon finished with 10 points, three rebounds and two assists in a fine performance of his own. But the timeliness of Pettiford's buckets stood out as he navigated a huge stage with the poise of a veteran.

Pinned

Link copied

Auburn's depth and balance on display

Yes, Auburn has a national player of the year candidate in Johni Broome. But what makes the Tigers a national title contender isn't just the presence of a star player. It's the depth and versatility of the roster. Six players scored at least 13 points for the Tigers, and substantive contributions came from across the board. When Broome checked out after tweaking his ankle at the 6:31 mark, Auburn led just 71-68. When he returned at the 4:54 mark, the Tigers were up 77-69. Few teams could lose someone so important at such a critical juncture in a high-stakes game and not only survive, but thrive, without them. In particular, the emergence of Chaney Johnson has been huge for Auburn. The senior wing finished with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting after scoring 20 on 9-of-10 shooting in a win at Vanderbilt earlier in the week. He is Auburn's sixth-leading scorer, but hhe's made massive contributions in consecutive SEC road wins.

Pinned

Link copied

Auburn takes down Alabama in No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle

But just when it looked like Alabama was going to turn the tide completely, Auburn struck back with a 9-1 run of its own to retake control with under five minutes remaining.

The high-stakes rivalry showdown marked the first game between top-ranked teams from the state since 2008, and it brought plenty of intensity. At one point in the second half, Alabama coach Nate Oats had to get on the microphone and ask fans not to throw things on the court.

Pinned

Link copied

Johni Broome with a dagger

Johni Broome just went to work on Mo Dioubate and got a lefty hook to fall on him with 1:09 remaining. That extended Auburn's lead to 88-78 and may have been a dagger. Broome has been banged up in this game and hasn't had his most-efficient night. But with Auburn needing a big late bucket, he came through. Clutch bucket from the National Player of the Year candidate.

Pinned

Link copied

Final charge?

Can Alabama mount a final charge? Or did the Crimson Tide expend too much energy closing the deficit once? Auburn responded to the Crimson Tide's 10-0 game-tying run with a 9-1 spurt of its own, leaving Bama with under three minutes now to close the gap again against an Auburn team that refuses to let anything come easy for Alabama.

Pinned

Link copied

Tahaad Pettiford stepping up

Alabama has no answer for Tahaad Pettiford, who produced buckets on back-to-back possessions to help the Tigers maintain some distance as the under-4 minute timeout approaches. Johni Broome is back in for Auburn, though it appears he's not quite 100% due to a potentially aggravated ankle injury.

Pinned

Link copied

Johni Broome hobbled as action picks up

6:31 2H: Auburn 71, Alabama 68

Auburn star Johni Broome, who missed time earlier in SEC play due to an ankle injury, is clearly hobbled in the second half. He's limping up and down the court after Alabama roared back to tie the game. That's a bad sign for the Tigers as the Crimson Tide have found their shooting stroke. Though he's got a double-double, Broome is just 6 of 15 from the floor and has been rather quiet offensively since a pair of early 3-pointers.

The 3-point gates have finally opened for Alabama. Aden Holloway, an Auburn transfer, hit the first one of the game for Alabama. Then, Jarin Stevenson knocked one down. If he gets going, watch out. The sophomore forward is coming off a career-high 22-point showing at Texas that included a 4 of 5 mark from beyond the arc. The Tide are starting to make their presence felt on the glass with a 6-3 edge in offensive rebounds.

Pinned

Link copied

Freshmen quiet

Alabama and Auburn have each gotten substantive contributions from star freshmen this season. Tahaad Pettiford for Auburn and Labaron Philon of Alabama have each flashed brilliance as playmakers and secondary scoring options. But so far in this one, both have been quiet in limited action. Will one of them eventually rise to the occasion? Could be a swing factor on the margins if so.

Pinned

Link copied

Alabama stays cold from deep

10:51 1H: Auburn 23, Alabama 17

Alabama is staying in it, despite a freezing cold start from beyond the arc. Even against Auburn's towering duo of Dylan Cardwell and Johni Broome, the Tide have scored 12 paint points. Once their 0 for 6 start from 3-point range turns around, things will get a lot easier. Johni Broome is up to 10 points for the Tigers on 4 of 6 shooting. There's been just one combined turnover between the teams.

Auburn starters: Denver Jones, Miles Kelly, Chris Moore, Johni Broome, Dylan Cardwell

It's just the second start of the season for Jones, who is a fifth-year forward. But with Chad Baker-Mazara working through an injury, Bruce Pearl opted to roll with Jones in the starting lineup earlier this week against Vanderbilt. He goes back to that lineup today.

Alabama starters: Mark Sears, Chris Youngblood, Jarin Stevenson, Grant Nelson, Clifford Omoruyi

Pinned

Link copied

Tip at 4:15 ET

With No. 6 Houston and No. 13 Arizona wrapping on up, the tip from Tuscaloosa has been pushed to 4:15 p.m. Eastern.

Pinned

Link copied

Entering with momentum

Tuesday night brought a classic trap spot for two SEC titans with a big weekend ahead. No. 1 Auburn was on the road in Vanderbilt's funky Memorial Gymnasium against a team with two victories against top-10 teams on its resume, while No. 2 Alabama traveled to play a Texas squad led by a likely lottery pick in Tre Johnson. But neither team fell in the trap. Here's the rundown of how Auburn, Alabama and the rest of the top-10 teams fared in midweek action.

College basketball grades: Alabama, Auburn earn high marks for winning trap games before No. 1 vs. 2 clash

David Cobb

Pinned

Link copied

What it means for Alabama, Auburn fans

For as much hype as there is around the actual game, it's also amplifying what those in the state of Alabama have been aware of for a while: The passion of Alabama and Auburn basketball fans may even exceed those of football fans, especially online.

"Football you get a lot of casual fans and I'll watch it on Saturdays but for basketball, you really have to watch it all week," said Brandie McLain, a huge Auburn sports fan who owns a popular fan account on X. "There's two games almost every week and sometimes more during nonconference schedule. I think having to keep up with it more makes people more engaged in the sport."

No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 2 Alabama is big for college basketball, but huge for rabid Tiger and Crimson Tide fans

John Talty

Pinned

Link copied

Setting the stage

The stage is set for an epic Iron Bowl of Basketball as No. 1 Auburn travels to No. 2 Alabama for an historic showdown Saturday between the in-state rivals in Tuscaloosa. It marks the first-ever No. 1 vs. No. 2 meeting among SEC teams and the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 game between two conference opponents since 2016. Adding even more intrigue to the highly anticipated matchup is the fact that Alabama is No. 1 in this week's Coaches Poll, which gives both teams a claim to "No. 1" entering the game. But any confusion over who deserves the title should be clarified by the end of what figures to be a riveting matchup.

Auburn and Alabama are each fast, deep, like to shoot 3-pointers and are ferocious on the offensive glass. Both have All-American players and high-caliber young talent as part of their deep rotations. Both also have star coaches who have ushered in a golden era of basketball to a football-crazed state. Saturday's showdown will showcase just how much Auburn's Bruce Pearl and Alabama's Nate Oats have done to elevate their programs. It will be the biggest game of college basketball's regular season and the biggest in series history.

Auburn vs. Alabama where to watch: TV channel, college basketball game odds, spread, prediction, pick

David Cobb

Pinned

Link copied

Auburn vs. Alabama game prediction

Auburn has the game's best player in Johni Broome. The National Player of the Year candidate is averaging a double-double and is an unstoppable force on the interior. Defensively, he and fellow big man Dylan Cardwell combine to comprise the best duo of rim protectors in college basketball. They will make getting clean looks around the basket difficult for the Crimson Tide, who could then become overly reliant on the outside shot. The problem is that Auburn boasts the best 3-point defense in the SEC, as league opponents are shooting just 28.8% from beyond the arc against the Tigers. Pick: Auburn +1.5

Pinned

Link copied

No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the regular season

Dec. 17, 1951: No. 2 Kentucky def. No. 1 St. John's 81-40
Dec. 21, 1954: No. 1 Kentucky def. No. 2 Utah 70-65
Dec.14, 1964: No. 2 Michigan def. No. 1 Wichita State 87-85
Jan.20, 1968: No. 2 Houston def. No. 1 UCLA 71-69
Dec.15, 1973: No. 1 UCLA def. No. 2 North Carolina State 84-66
Jan. 19, 1974: No. 2 Notre Dame def. No. 1 UCLA 71-70
Jan. 26, 1974: No. 2 UCLA def. No. 1 Notre Dame 94-75
Nov. 29, 1975: No. 1 Indiana def. No. 2. UCLA 84-64
Dec. 26, 1981: No. 1 North Carolina def. No. 2 Kentucky 82-69
Jan. 9, 1982: No. 1 North Carolina def. No. 2 Virginia 65-60
Dec.15, 1984: No. 1 Georgetown def. No. 2. DePaul 77-57
Jan. 26, 1985: No. 2 St. John's def. No. 1 Georgetown 66-65
Feb. 27, 1985: No. 2 Georgetown def. No. 1 St. John's 85-69
Feb. 4, 1986: No. 1 North Carolina def. No. 2 Georgia Tech 78-77 (OT)
Feb. 13, 1990: No. 2 Missouri def. No. 1 Kansas 77-71
Feb. 10, 1991: No. 1 UNLV def. No. 2 Arkansas 112-105
Feb. 3, 1994: No. 2 North Carolina def. No. 1 Duke 89-78
Feb. 5, 1998: No. 2 North Carolina def. No. 1 Duke 97-73
Dec. 10, 2005: No. 1 Duke def. No. 2 Texas 97-66
Feb. 25, 2007: No. 2 Ohio State def. No. 1 Wisconsin 49-48
Feb. 23, 2008: No. 2 Tennessee def. No. 1 Memphis 66-62
Nov. 12, 2013: No. 2 Michigan State def. No. 1 Kentucky 78-74
Jan. 4, 2016: No. 1 Kansas def. No. 2 Oklahoma 109-106 (3OT)
Nov. 14, 2017: No. 1 Duke def. No. 2 Michigan State 88-81
Nov. 5, 2019: No. 2 Kentucky def. No. 1 Michigan State 69-62
Nov. 23, 2021: No. 1 Gonzaga def. No. 2 UCLA 83-63

Pinned

Link copied

Intra-conference top-two results

Saturday's game will be the 12th conference battle between the top two teams. The No. 2 team is 6-5, with eight games happening during the regular season; the home team is 5-4. (Winners in bold.)

» Jan. 4, 2016: No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 2 Oklahoma
» Feb. 25, 2007: No. 1 Wisconsin @ No. 2 Ohio State
» Feb. 5, 1998: No. 1 Duke @ No. 2 North Carolina
» Feb. 3, 1994: No. 1 Duke @ No. 2 North Carolina
» March 10, 1990: No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 2 Kansas (Big Eight Tournament)
» Feb. 13, 1990: No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 2 Missouri
» Feb. 4, 1986: No. 1 North Carolina @ No. 2 Georgia Tech
» March 9, 1985: No. 1 Georgetown vs. St John's (Big East Tournament)
» Feb. 27, 1985: No. 1 St. John's vs. No. 2 Georgetown
» Jan. 26, 1985: No. 1 Georgetown vs. No. 2 St. John's
» Jan. 9, 1982: No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 2 Virginia

Ranking all teams in the NCAA Tournament: 1-68

Matt Norlander 38 min read
How UNC shockingly made the field

David Cobb 3 min read
Best, worst draws from bracket reveal

Isaac Trotter 5 min read
Cooper Flagg 'full steam ahead' for NCAA tourney

Cameron Salerno 1 min read
2025 NCAA Tournament TV schedule, tip times

Matt Norlander 5 min read
Odds, lines for Round 1 of NCAA Tournament

Chip Patterson 2 min read
2025 NCAA Tournament seed list from 1-68

Kyle Boone 1 min read
Iowa State's Gilbert 'won't be available' for tournament

Kyle Boone 2 min read
Conference tournaments: Every winner, auto-bid

David Cobb 2 min read
SEC sets record with 14 NCAA Tournament bids

David Cobb 5 min read