No. 12 Auburn will face the No. 16 Alabama Crimson Tide for the second time on Wednesday, seeking revenge for its loss in Tuscaloosa earlier this season.
Auburn comes into this game with momentum from its 91-77 victory on the road against Ole Miss on Saturday, which saw the Tigers overcome a nine-point halftime deficit and score 56 second-half points on 73% shooting from the field.
The same can be said for Alabama, who took care of business at home against Mississippi State in a dominant 99-67 victory to help the Crimson Tide improve to 8-1 in conference play as they look to hold onto first place and sweep Auburn for the second consecutive season.
“Alabama is one of the best offensive teams in the country,” said head coach Bruce Pearl. “They lead the country in scoring, averaging about 90 points a game. They are number four with about 11.5 threes per game. They make over 12 in their wins. They are just a very dangerous team because they all shoot it so well they could put five guys on the floor at the same time that could shoot it.”
In the previous contest, Auburn could not recover from a 14-point deficit at halftime. Despite their best efforts to make a comeback, the Tigers picked up their first conference loss of the season 79-75.
While playing on the road has been a struggle for Auburn this year, boasting a 3-3 record, the Tigers have managed to maintain a perfect 11-0 record at home.
“We have played a couple of away games, and at home, it's like everybody has superpowers, and for some reason, everybody starts hitting more shots,” said forward Chad Baker-Mazara. “A lot of it has to do with the fans. I love them. But when you feel at home, you got a little bit more swagger in you. You know the crowd got your back, and we are just trying to stay undefeated and not lose at home at all. I never want to give the home fans that feeling.”
Auburn averages 80.5 points per game in four SEC home games this season compared to 77.4 points in five SEC road games.
Auburn gets a chance to climb the SEC standings and improve its resume for the NCAA Tournament with another Quad 1 win opportunity. Auburn had yet to win a Quad 1 game before its victory against Ole Miss but now has a chance to win back-to-back Quad 1 games.
“Right now, Alabama is in first place, right now they are the best team in the league right now,” Pearl said. “...I have been talking about Tennessee probably being the best team, and I still think they are, but Alabama is in first, and so we have an opportunity to think about having a chance to compete for this conference championship.”
Bitter rivals Auburn and Alabama will square off in the Iron Bowl of basketball as Auburn looks to avoid the season sweep. The game will tip off in Neville Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 6 p.m. CST, with the game being broadcast on ESPN2.
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Craig Noyes is a junior from Kensington, Maryland, majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in January 2023.
Twitter: @craignoyes58
