Auburn women's basketball head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said last week the Alabama Crimson Tide would want to come to the Plains "and cut [Auburn's] heads off."
For 24 minutes of game time Thursday night at Auburn Arena, it appeared the Tigers' bitter rivals were going to get their wish.
But Tyrese Tanner led the Tigers back from 17 down, Hasina Muhammad kept them in the game during two overtime periods, and Brandy Montgomery sealed the victory with several clutch shots in the final minutes for a wild comeback victory.
Auburn completed the season sweep against rival Alabama with a 70-65 double-overtime victory Thursday night.
"As mad as I want to be at them for getting down, I can give them nothing but credit for fighting hard to get back in and win the game," Williams-Flournoy said. "We were down, but there was a lot of time left. We tried to tell our kids to stay calm and focused."
Thursday night marked only the second time Auburn and Alabama played in a double-overtime game, and it was the first double-overtime game for Auburn since 2010 at Florida.
The Tigers' final home game of the season was a true tale of two halves, as Auburn followed up an 18-point first-half performance with a 33-point resurgence out of the locker room to take the game into overtime.
"It's a game of runs, and it's a game of mistakes," said Alabama head coach Kristy Curry. "You can't miss nine free throws and win games in this league."
Tanner led all scorers with 26 points, with 12 of those coming in a 22-6 second-half run that tied the game with two minutes to play.
"We knew we had to keep attacking," Tanner said. "If we couldn't get inside, we gave it to our shooters on the outside in Katie [Frerking] and Brandy [Montgomery]."
After Tanner fouled out in the second overtime period, Muhammad took control of the game. Although she finished with only six points, Muhammad hit a fadeaway jumper off the glass with 35 seconds left to give Auburn a one-point lead it would not relinquish.
"I knew the play," Muhammad said. "It was for me...my adrenaline was pumping, and I wanted to win so bad. I just went for it, and I did what I do best: midrange jumpers."
Montgomery then hit 4-of-4 free throws in the final seconds to preserve the win for the hometown Tigers. The true freshman also drilled a pair of clutch 3-pointers with 3:14 left in regulation, then in double overtime to keep the Tigers within striking distance of the Crimson Tide.
Alabama dominated almost every major statistical category in what was a disappointing first half for Williams-Flournoy and the Tigers. Auburn was outrebounded, outshot and ultimately outscored by 15 points in the opening 20 minutes of its 2013-14 home finale.
"We just got a good talking to [from Williams-Flournoy]," Tanner said. "It's my last year, and you have to come out and play hard every chance you get. You can't come out in a mood. You have to shake everything off and play."
After Alabama stretched its lead to as large as 17 points in the second half, Tanner took control of the game on both offense and defense. The senior, playing in her final regular season game at Auburn Arena, scored 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting and recorded four blocks to lead a furious Auburn comeback.
"I just see extreme leadership [from Tanner], and she pulls everyone else along," Muhammad said. "It makes everyone else want to work harder to match her intensity, and it just makes the game fun."
Montgomery's 3-pointer with 3:14 left in the second half pulled Auburn to within two points, and Tanner's stepback, midrange jumper tied the game with 2:11 left on the clock.
The two teams traded buckets and defensive stops for the remainder of regulation and the first overtime period, which only featured a combined 12 points from the two rivals.
Montgomery's deep jumper in double overtime swung momentum back to Auburn after a quick Alabama start. Muhammad gave Auburn the lead for good with just seconds left on the clock.
"We call them freshmen, even though at this point they are sophomores with the minutes they have played," Williams-Flournoy said. "I think Brandy has played more minutes out of anyone on the team...she hit some huge free throws at the end there."
The Crimson Tide's remaining shots failed to draw the rim, and Montgomery sealed the deal for the Tigers at the free-throw line.
Auburn will wrap up its regular season Sunday in Oxford, Miss., as the team takes on Ole Miss. The Rebels have only recorded one SEC win this season.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
