The Auburn women's basketball team (14-12) lost 51-59 to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
"It was just a tough night for us at the free-throw line and with turnovers," said head coach Nell Fortner. "I thought that we just did not come out and play with the type of intensity that we needed to in the second half. You cannot win ball games like that."
The Tigers shot 35 percent from the field and were led by sophomore guard Morgan Toles, who shot 5-11 and scored 13.
Junior forward Chantel Hilliard scored first on a layup and started an 8-2 Auburn run within the first four minutes of the game.
The Tigers maintained a small lead until a steal and three-pointer from Alabama junior forward guard Erica Russell gave the Tide a 10-12 lead with 13:18 left in the first.
Auburn regained its lead after a three-pointer from sophomore guard Blanche Alverson and ended on a 7-1 run to go into half holding a 27-18 lead.
Alabama struggled to find the basket in the first, shooting a mere 15 percent, but came out firing in the second half.
The Tide shot nearly 60 percent and were able to erase an 11-point deficit midway through the second half.
"I think that they came out with a totally different mindset," Fortner said. "Whatever they did at halftime definitely worked. They just came out and played a lot tougher in the second half, and we could not match that intensity at all, and we lost the game."
Alabama junior forward Alicia Mitcham tied the game at 41 on a layup with 11:17 left in the game before hitting a jumper minutes later to put the Tide up by four.
Alverson gave the Tigers one last chance at a comeback after hitting a jumper to make the score 51-56 with 3:54 on the clock, but the team was held scoreless for the remainder of the game.
"It is Auburn-Alabama," Alverson said. "That is really the main thing. That is the game at the end of the year that you want to win the most. It is the pinnacle of all games."
Even with the loss, Auburn still has a chance to qualify for the postseason and play in the NCAA Tournament at home.
"We are very capable of winning out the rest of these games that we have in the SEC," Toles said. "It is just a matter of believing we can and doing it."
Auburn returns to the court Monday as they face South Carolina at 1 p.m. in Columbus, S.C.
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