3/3/23 Auburn Basketball Articles

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Pearl's message: 'We should be confident' after heartbreaking loss at Alabama

Nathan King

5–7 minutes

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TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — Auburn’s heartbreaking defeat at Alabama was season-defining in the worst way.

The overtime loss was the latest in a long line of “what if” games this season, in which the Tigers seemed only a few — or perhaps just one — possession away from a victory that would have their NCAA Tournament resume and SEC standing on much stronger footing than it is now. Only this time around, the stakes were even higher — and Auburn’s blown lead was even bigger. The Tigers were up 17 midway through the second half, playing easily their best game of the season, before No. 2 Alabama stormed back, helped by Auburn’s severe foul trouble, to score 41 of the game’s final 60 points and win 90-85 in overtime.

Bruce Pearl is tired of it, if not only because he’s seen his players absorb so many agonizingly close defeats.

"Boy, these kids have been through an awful lot,” Pearl said postgame.

The loss marked Auburn’s sixth single-defeat defeat on the road this season, including five over the past month and change (USC, West Virginia, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Alabama). Five have been Quadrant 1 opportunities for the Tigers, who are 2-9 on the season in such games. The six losses have been by a combined 21 points.

And the most recent might be the best example of the kind of resiliency Auburn, a team with plenty of veteran leadership, has had all year. The Tigers’ ability to wipe the slate from game to game has allowed them to play each night in a vacuum. They went from a 32-point annihilation at Kentucky on Saturday to a performance that allowed them to lead the No. 2 team in the country, on its home floor, for 37 minutes.

That’s why it’s been difficult to find Pearl upset with his team this season. Auburn’s execution down the stretch has often left much to be desired, sure. But the ninth-year Auburn coach’s priority has been keeping his players’ chins held high — especially in the midst of what’s now eight losses in their last 11 games. If their mindsets had faltered, they may not even be in a position to make the tournament at all right now.

After all, Pearl’s not sure he’s ever coached a team this snakebitten.

“I don't know that I've had this many close losses against so many great teams,” Pearl said. “I'm really proud of our guys. To give them confidence, I said — what happens is you lose those games, you lose confidence, you lose it in yourself, you lose it in your teammates, you lose it in what we do. I was like, 'Look, we should be confident. You guys have paid the price. You guys have worked really, really hard.’ So the most important thing is to not lose your confidence.”

Pearl almost wouldn’t blame the Tigers for being more angry — as he was with the officiating after the Alabama loss.

“We've just been getting pounded,” Pearl said. “When you lose five straight Saturdays, at West Virginia, at Tennessee, at Kentucky, at home to Alabama, at Vandy — that's five straight. No matter how good the message is on Sunday morning, that's tough. These guys have been resilient.”

K.D. Johnson’s season-high 21 points helped Auburn balloon its lead to as large as 17 points with 10:27 remaining. The Tigers shot the absolute lights out, making nine of their first 11 attempts from beyond the arc and a season-high 12-of-20 (60 percent) for the game.

Alabama responded with a 16-0 run, though, helped in large part by Auburn center Johni Broome, one of the best rim protectors in the country, fouling out with 7:27 left after a scuffling sequence that led to double technicals on Wendell Green Jr. and Jahvon Quinerly, ejections for Charles Bediako and Rylan Griffen, and Broome’s fifth foul after he and Quinerly were tangled up going for a loose ball.

Green Jr. had a good look, Pearl said, for a game-winning jumper at the end of regulation, but the shot was just off.

By the time overtime came, Auburn was walking a tightrope, and it quickly snapped. Jaylin Williams and Allen Flanigan fouled out on back-to-back possessions, putting three Auburn starters on the bench for the rest of the action. Backup center Dylan Cardwell injured his ankle and hobbled off, too, leaving 6-foot-6 Chris Moore playing the 5 spot.

Still, as has been the case all year, Auburn’s competitiveness against most of the best teams on its schedule provides stability for what would otherwise be an already fractured NCAA Tournament outlook. The Tigers didn’t fall a single spot in the NET ratings after the loss, holding firm at No. 37.

Even after all the dramatics Wednesday night, Auburn is in the same position it was last week, and possibly the week before: win, and you’re in. Holding on in Coleman Coliseum would have punched the Tigers’ March Madness ticket. In all likelihood, beating Tennessee at home on the last day of the regular season will do the same.

Whether Auburn can finally snag one more quality win, in its last chance to do so in the regular season, is another question. And Pearl’s confidence certainly wasn’t affected by Wednesday’s result. If anything, it was bolstered.

“A team that can come here and give them the best game they've had all year here?” Pearl said. “That's a pretty good team.”

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Hot-shooting Tigers fall at No. 2 Alabama 90-85 in OT

Auburn University Athletics

4–6 minutes

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – K.D. Johnson led four Tigers in double figures and Auburn led most of the way before falling to No. 2 Alabama 90-85 in overtime Wednesday at Coleman Coliseum.

"To come in and play the best team in the country, play so well and play so hard," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. "We are a proud program. We have great respect for Alabama. We congratulate them on winning the championship, they're a very worthy champion but we came here to win a basketball game."

Auburn ended the game with its starting frontcourt on the bench with five fouls. Johni Broome fouled out with 7:31 to play, and Jaylin Williams and Allen Flanigan both fouled out in OT.

"Incredibly outnumbered at the end," Pearl said. "Alabama did a great job of getting downhill."

Auburn led throughout until two Alabama free throws gave the home team a 75-73 lead with 1:37 to play. Flanigan rebounded a missed Alabama 3-pointer and made a layup on an assist from Wendell Green Jr. to tie the score at 75-75 with 55 seconds remaining. 

After an Alabama turnover, Auburn had a chance to win in regulation but Green's 15-footer bounced off the rim with five seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.

"He got a pretty clean look," Pearl said. "If it goes in, were celebrating."

Alabama scored the first five points in OT before Flanigan and Johnson hit 3-pointers to twice pull the Tigers within two points. 

With Alabama leading by four, Chris Moore grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on a putback to cut the lead to 87-85 with 35 seconds to play. 

Alabama made one of two free throws with 22 seconds left to lead by three, then Auburn's shot was blocked with 11 seconds to go and the Crimson Tide hit a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining to secure victory. 

Johnson hit 4 of 5 3-pointers and led the Tigers with 21 points, Flanigan scored 17 and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds, Williams added 15 and Broome scored 10.

"I thought the bench was terrific," Pearl said, highlighting the play of Johnson, Moore and Tre Donaldson. "K.D. is an athlete who is hard to stay in front of. He did a good job driving downhill."

Auburn led 40-33 at the half but Alabama made three consecutive 3-pointers to open the second half, tying the score at 42-42 before Flanigan hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Tigers ahead by six. 

Broome scored six points in an 8-0 run that put the Tigers on top 56-44, then Johnson hit a 3-pointer in a 6-0 run that gave Auburn a 62-46 lead.

Auburn led by 17 and had the ball midway through the second half but the Tigers committed five turnovers and Alabama made five consecutive shots in a 16-0 run to pull within one point with 4:57 to play. 

Williams opened the game with a 3-pointer then added a corner 3 to give Auburn an early 6-2 lead before heading to the bench with two fouls at the 16:53 mark.

After sitting for a few minutes, Williams returned, made a steal and assisted Johnson for a transition 3-pointer that put the Tigers ahead 15-9 with 11:33 to play. 

Auburn used a 7-0 run to take a nine-point lead on Williams' floater, Johnson's 3-pointer and Donaldson's jumper from the free-throw line, forcing an Alabama timeout with 7:25 to play in the half.

The Tigers extended their lead to 10 on Flanigan's turnaround jumper and led by 12 after a pair of Green free throws with 2:40 to play in the half. 

Brandon Miller scored six straight points to cut Auburn's lead in half but Lior Berman answered with a corner 3-pointer with 19 seconds left in the half before Alabama's Mark Sears made a layup at the buzzer. 

Auburn shot 75 percent from 3-point range in the half, making 6 of 8 attempts while outrebounding Alabama 17-14 in the half. The Tigers were 12-for-20 on 3-pointers in the game, including 2 of 3 in overtime. 

"Our guys have been through a lot," Pearl said. "I'm really proud of our guys. We should be confident. Our guys have paid the price. The most important thing is to not lose our confidence."

The Tigers (19-11, 9-8) conclude the regular season Saturday at Neville Arena hosting No. 12 Tennessee at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN and the Auburn Sports Network.

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer

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