Field Level Media
Jan 9, 2021
Joshua Primo scored 22 points, and Jordan Bruner scored 20, including 13 in the second half, helping visiting Alabama win 94-90 over Auburn on Saturday.
Herbert Jones added 19 points and eight rebounds as Alabama (9-3) capitalized on late Auburn mistakes to improve to 4-0 in the SEC.
Sharife Cooper made his Auburn debut after he was ruled eligible by the NCAA earlier in the week, scoring 26 points and dishing out nine assists. He had five turnovers, including one in the final seconds that was costly.
Auburn, which trailed by as many as 10 in the first half, got two dunks and a 3-pointer from JT Thor to take its largest lead of the game, 52-48, at 14:54 of the second half. Thor scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half and grabbed nine rebounds in the game.
Alabama surged back in front, with a Bruner layup giving the Tide an 82-74 lead with 6:27 to play.
The Tigers (6-6, 0-4) scored the next 10 points, with Cooper's steal and dunk giving Auburn an 84-82 lead with 4:43 to play.
From there it was back and forth until a Bruner basket for a 93-90 Alabama lead with a 1:00 to go, and Auburn missed shots on two chances to tie. After Jaden Shackelford hit a free throw with 22 seconds left for a four-point lead, Auburn turned the ball over.
The first half saw Alabama jump out to a 14-4 lead thanks to four 3-pointers from Primo. Allen Flanigan scored Auburn's next eight points, though, as the Tigers fought back.
John Petty Jr. hit a corner 3-pointer for a 28-18 Crimson Tide lead with 6:23 left in the half, but again Auburn rallied. The Tigers went on a 10-0 run to tie the game, and half finished with a flourish.
Devan Cambridge hit a corner 3-pointer with 2:01 to go, giving Auburn a 33-32 lead. In the final 30 seconds, Petty fed Jones for an alley-oop dunk for Alabama and Cambridge slammed home a lob from Cooper, leaving the Tide with a 37-36 lead at the half.
--Field Level Media