Auburn Rolls Past Rivals Alabama

The No. 1 Auburn Tigers (21-1, 9-0) cruised past rivals Alabama Crimson Tide (14-8, 4-5) Tuesday night, winning 100-81.

Fire Power Off the Auburn Bench

With Auburn having one of the best freshman in college basketball this year in Jabari Smith some would have thought he would be the one continuously leading the Tigers in scoring. Instead, they were led by sophomore guard Wendell Green Jr. off the bench. Green Jr. had 23 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the game. He also contributed five free throws during his time on the floor. His six assists were the most from either team in this in-state rivalry.

Green Jr. never seemed under pressure with the ball in his hands. He only had one turnover in 27 minutes of action. With the two big men on this Auburn team, life was made easier for him when it came to getting assists.

Air Walk ✈️#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/Ltdou4hl7B

— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) February 2, 2022

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Green Jr.’s confidence was through the roof in this rivalry. Whether it was a step-back three, beautiful dime or driving to hoop, he made his presence known.

The Tide Couldn’t Handle the Tigers Offense

They managed to put up a whopping 100 points. This is just the second time this season where they scored 100 points or more. They scored 109 earlier in the season against the University of Connecticut in a double overtime thriller.

While the Tigers may have struggled to make threes in this game, they did not really need them. They made their money inside the arc and on the charity stripe. They made a total of 32 shots, which only five of those were threes. Additionally, they shot 48.5% from the field in the game. The Tigers also netted 31 of their 39 free throw attempts which almost doubled the amount of free throws made by the Crimson Tide.

On the other side of the ball, the Crimson Tide only shot 35.7% from the field. Their three-point percentage, 37.8%, was higher than their overall field goal percentage in the game. However, this is what kept the game from being a huge blowout. The Crimson Tide made nine more threes than the Tigers. While they had two 20-point scorers in the contest, only three players scored in double figures for the Tide. Alabama junior Jaden Shackelford led the team with 26 points, three rebounds and two assists.

Alabama never could get themselves into the game. Although Alabama made some runs to put pressure on Auburn, they ran away in the second half. After a 15-4 run in favor of the Tide, they put themselves down three. However, Auburn surged away and never looked back.

This win for the Auburn Tigers puts the tally at 18 wins in a row and completes the sweep over their rivals for the season. Furthermore, they are still undefeated in conference play and are atop the SEC and NCAA rankings.

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What’s next for Auburn and Alabama?

Auburn looks to keep its SEC win streak alive to begin February with traveling to Georgia for its next game on Saturday. After that, it will make its way to Arkansas to face the Razorbacks on Tuesday.

Alabama will play host to the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday. The Crimson Tide will then make their way to Oxford, Mississippi to take on the Ole Miss Rebels. They hope to turn their season around with this next three-game stretch.