No. 1 Auburn defeated No. 2 Alabama 94-85 at Coleman Coliseum on Saturday, largely due to a poor offensive performance.
Alabama connected on just five of its 26 3-point attempts and struggled mightily in the first half, hitting two of 15 from beyond the arc. Just three Alabama players made a 3-pointer in the loss, and guard Mark Sears was the only Alabama player to connect on more than one.
Before Saturday’s contest, Alabama had shot 34.4% from the 3-point line, down from a 36.5% mark last season. Auburn was able to limit Alabama to just 26 long-range attempts, compared to the Crimson Tide’s season average of 37.5 per game.
“Between our free throws, not finishing at the rim and not getting as many 3s off and then not making them anywhere close to the level that they did, that ends up being the difference,” head coach Nate Oats said following the loss.
The loss was the first of Oats’ tenure in which Alabama did not have a lead in the game.
Despite shooting only four more 3-point attempts than Alabama, Auburn was far more efficient from beyond the arc, making 12 of 30, good for a 40% mark.
“They outscored us by 21 points from 3, and that’s too many with the game plan we were trying to execute,” Oats said, adding that part of his team’s struggles to get consistent open looks was Auburn’s defensive scheme. Oats also gave credit to Auburn guard Denver Jones for executing their game plan “at a pretty high level” and holding Sears to just 4 of 17 shooting.
Saturday’s loss was similar to Alabama’s lackluster performance at home against Ole Miss. The team suffered yet another slow start in the first half, going down 9-0 to begin and taking a 9-point deficit into halftime.
Guard Chris Youngblood acknowledged the disappointment the loss brought, especially in such a highly attended and anticipated game, but also said that Alabama will need to flush the loss and begin preparation for a ranked matchup on Wednesday.
“Of course, you never want to lose on your home court, especially in front of a big crowd,” Youngblood said. “It’s frustrating, but it’s crucial that we move on and get ready for a good Missouri team that’s been playing well. ”
Alabama will continue SEC play with a tough test on the road against No. 21 Missouri on Wednesday. The game will tip off at 8 p.m. CT and can be watched on SEC Network.
