How Auburn won, Alabama lost; more takeaways from the AP No. 1 vs. 2 matchup

The Auburn-Alabama rivalry has staged many classics on the football field. In the 1984 Iron Bowl, former Auburn star Bo Jackson ran the wrong way on a block to seal a win for Alabama. A late touchdown in 2009 helped Alabama win a rivalry game and remain undefeated in what would be a national championship season. And 2013 produced the infamous “Kick Six,” when Auburn’s Chris Davis returned a failed field goal attempt for a touchdown in the final seconds.

On Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, No. 1 Auburn and No. 2 Alabama created their own memorable affair on the hardwood in a thrilling game with SEC and Selection Sunday implications. Despite never having the lead — and trailing by double digits for a chunk of it — Alabama made a late run to tie the score at 65-65 with around eight minutes to play.

And then, Johni Broome, the national player of the year candidate, aggravated an ankle injury that cost him multiple games earlier this season. Yet, Auburn continued to battle and secure the 94-85 win over its in-state rival.

The first AP No. 1 vs No. 2 matchup in SEC history offered the theater many had anticipated when the most balanced team in America took on one of the nation’s greatest offensive squads. It was a unique moment for two programs that have crashed the blue blood party in college basketball, and evolved into perennial national title contenders.

The winner, Auburn, cemented its edge in the SEC title race, and the pursuit of the top overall seed. The loser, Alabama, must regroup and prepare for the rematch in Auburn in three weeks.

ESPN’s Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello and Joe Lunardi break down everything that happened, and the lasting effects.

What did this game tell us about both teams?

Borzello: The gap between Auburn and everyone else for the overall 1-seed is only growing. The Tigers entered with five more Quadrant 1 wins than anyone else in the country and with the No. 1 ranking in five of the seven metrics the selection committee uses. Now, they have wins over Alabama, Tennessee, Houston, Purdue and Iowa State, with their only two losses coming to teams that were 1-seeds in the mock bracket reveal Saturday afternoon, Duke and Florida. Saturday also showed a side of Auburn we hadn’t seen in an SEC road game this season, and quelled any doubts we had about the Tigers’ ability to dominate an elite opponent in a true road environment in conference play.

Medcalf: This game demonstrated the significance of Mark Sears to Alabama’s national title hopes. Yes, he scored 18 points. But he was 4-for-17 and 2-for-11 from the 3-point line. His early foul trouble impacted Alabama’s rhythm, too.

The national title will probably be decided by the teams with proven stars on their rosters: Cooper Flagg for Duke; Broome for Auburn. Walter Clayton Jr., Braden Smith, Zakai Zeigler, Wade Taylor IV and more are all playing their best basketball weeks from Selection Sunday, too. Sears will have to match those performances to help his team reach San Antonio.

Medcalf: Auburn won because Johni Broome might be the best player in the country. A pair of 3-pointers by the Wooden Award candidate in the opening stretch helped the Tigers take an early 9-0 lead and sent the message they were there to make a statement. The initial run was also key because it limited the impact of a sellout crowd in Tuscaloosa.

Broome’s physical style and aggressive defense were pivotal — he finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Even after he aggravated his ankle injury, he made a key block and late bucket to help his team seal the deal. Alabama couldn’t neutralize him.

Borzello: Broome was awesome, which is no surprise — but Tahaad Pettiford was the game-changer in the second half, when Auburn was starting to hit a wall and Alabama was making its run. Pettiford has routinely come off the bench this season to make an impact in big games. After Grant Nelson tied the score at 65 on a dunk, Pettiford buried a 3 to slow the momentum. A couple of minutes later, he drove the lane and hit a right-handed scoop layup, then had another finish at the rim on the next possession.