The No. 2 Auburn Tigers men’s wheelchair basketball team defeated No. 1 Alabama 70-59 this past weekend at McKale Center in Tucson to secure the program’s first national championship.
This rivalry needs no introduction and raised the stakes to the highest yet. With a national title on the line, the wheelchair basketball Iron Bowl became the biggest stage yet for the two top programs. Saturday marked the seventh meeting between Auburn and Alabama this season, with the series deadlocked at three wins apiece entering the championship clash.
Auburn had already proved it could compete with the Crimson Tide, earning a narrow 68-64 victory in their previous meeting just a month earlier. With everything at stake, Auburn yet again rose to the moment. In a physical, hard-fought battle, the Tigers maintained control and claimed the title.
Auburn’s Jude Hiley hadn’t hit a 3-pointer all tournament, but riding a hot stretch late in the fourth quarter, the junior set his sights on delivering a knockout blow to Auburn’s biggest rival in Saturday’s championship.
With just two and a half minutes left, and his team leading by five, Hiley launched a shot from the top right of the key and buried it, giving the Tigers just enough cushion to close out the game.
The game also featured a standout performance from Drew Beutel, who scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed five rebounds. Jake Eastwood followed with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Hiley added 15 points and seven rebounds, leading Auburn to the 70-59 victory.
“Oh, coach [Robb Taylor] really didn’t like that one. I was thinking all tournament. I hadn’t hit one all tournament. I’m thinking law of averages. I gotta hit one eventually. So, I just put it up. I didn’t really think much. Just put it up and it went in,” said Hiley, who was named the championship game MVP. “I don’t know if you want to call that the dagger, but it maybe helped a little bit.”
Beutel found his rhythm in the first half, scoring 19 points over the first two quarters to give Auburn a 35-34 lead at halftime. Eastwood ignited the Tigers’ lead in the third quarter, scoring 12 of his 21 points to give Auburn a 52-46 advantage. Hiley closed it out in the fourth, scoring 11 points in the final five minutes to seal the victory.
“Jude is a difference-maker. So, being able to put him back out on the floor, he plays with confidence and everything that he does. So, yes, there might be some shots that I question. He never questions anything, and he’s got full belief in himself. And it paid off this whole tournament,” head coach Robb Taylor said. “He played great for us all weekend. That’s why he was named MVP.”
The win also denied Alabama its fifth national championship since 2013. The Crimson Tide have consistently been a formidable opponent, winning four titles: 2013, 2018, 2019 and 2023. For Auburn, this was an opportunity to earn the program’s first national championship, and the Tigers were unwilling to back down.
This was a proud moment for Auburn, not only winning a national championship but also solidifying themselves as the most dominant team in Alabama.
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