Alabama
17-11, 8-8
Auburn
11-17, 5-11
Alabama Men's Basketball Holds Off Rival Auburn, 65-57
2/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama men's basketball team defeated Auburn, 65-57, in front of a sold out Coleman Coliseum on Saturday. The Tide fell behind early in the second half, but outscored the Tigers 28-11 over the final 14:28 to seal the victory and give head coach Avery Johnson his first win in the series.
"Wow, what a game," head coach Avery Johnson said. "It was a Rollercoaster. I am really proud of our guys. We are awfully happy, we understand that it is a rivalry. I feel a little bit different this go around. We are excited about this win and protecting our home court. And thank you, thank you, thank you a million times over to our students and fans tonight because they were another reason why we won this game, pulling us through when we had a struggle there mainly in the second half."
Alabama (17-11, 8-8 SEC) fell behind early in the second half as Auburn (11-17, 5-11 SEC) used a 15-3 run over the first five minutes of the frame to turn a two-point halftime deficit into a 44-34 with 14:58 left. However, the Tide quickly answered the Tigers' run with a 14-4 run of its own to tie the game at 48-48 with 6:34 to play.
From that point on, senior guard Retin Obasohan came up clutch by hitting key baskets down the stretch. Obasohan, who scored 11 of his game-high 16 points in the final 10:34, gave the Tide the lead for good with a layup at the 6:46 mark to push Alabama ahead, 50-49.
With his team leading 57-53 with 2:20 left, the Antwerp, Belgium native connected on a three-pointer and followed that with a 15-foot jumper to extend Alabama's lead to 61-55. From there, the Tide hit all four of its free throws to seal the win.
Freshman forward Donta Hall had one of his best games this season, finishing the night with a season-high 10 points to go along with eight boards and two blocks before fouling out at the 6:16 mark. Senior Arthur Edwards also came up big with 15 points on the strength of three three-pointers.
Alabama just edged out Auburn on the boards, winning the rebounding battle, 37-36. The Tide is now 11-2 this year when outrebounding the opponent. Alabama forced 18 turnovers and recorded seven steals.
Bryce Brown scored 14 points to lead Auburn. Cinmeon Bowers chipped in 12 while recording a game-high 13 rebounds.
It marked the fifth sellout of the season for Alabama, which is the most since the 2006-07 when Coleman Coliseum was sold out six times.
Alabama plays its final home game of the regular season Wednesday, March 2 when the Arkansas Razorbacks come to town. The Tide tips off against Arkansas at 8 p.m. CT on SEC Network. Seniors Arthur Edwards and Retin Obasohan will be honored in a pre-game ceremony, so fans are encouraged to arrive early.
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