TIDE ROLLS OVER AUBURN 76-71

Petty and Jones lead the Tide...
Ingram holds the point after Sexton injury...
     

   

Bill Ellis

     Auburn roared into Coleman Coliseum like a Tiger. They left like a lamb. The Crimson Tide beat the Aubies 76-71. John Petty, behind 8-13 three-point shooting, and Herbert Jones who took a magical mystery tour with an all-around splendid performance killed the 14 game winning streak held by Bruce Pearl's team. And, Collin Sexton didn't play due to an abdominal injury. Don'ta Hall played and threw his weight around. When you play without your leading scorer and floor general bad things can happen. Auburn may have decided that the Tide could not have beaten them without Sexton and Hall. That seems logical. Basketball is not always a logical game, is it? Games are not played on paper. They have to take to the hardwood. This was going to be a game all of us long remember.

 

   A lot has been written about John Petty and his eight three-point explosions (five in the second half).  Jones started and Johnson moved Dazon Ingram back to the point with Sexton's absence. The Tide surprised the SEC basketball world by beating the high scoring Tigers. What hasn't been written is the lock-down defense, particularly on the perimeter, that killed Auburn's offense. The Tide also won the battle of boards. The first half may have a little shaky on offense, but the defense held Auburn to 33 points. The Tide trailed by only three and you could feel a Tide victory.  

   

Key pulled down nine boards.

In the second half, the Tide found an offensive groove and jumped out to a double-digit lead. The Tigers cut it to four but free-throw shooting sealed the victory for 'Bama. The Tide's free-throw percentage was low, but made the ones that counted most. Ingram steadied his nerves and made some big ones.  Auburn  had a chance to knot the score at 74, but pressing 'Bama defense caused a Tiger miscue. The Tide then hit two more free throws and it was over. 'Bama had clinched a RPI building win over the Tigers.

     A word about Dazon Ingram. He had a rough night scoring but he ran the point to perfection in the second half. I also thought a couple of his missed shots he was fouled. He got a couple of charges that were bad calls. So, what else is new? Official miss calls and the charge/block call is perhaps the toughest call for a ref to make. Still, in watching the game it was clear that both Herbert Jones and Dazon Ingram caught some bad calls.


Player of the Game: John Petty
Defensive player of the game: Herbert Jones
MVP of the game:  Tide Defense

RPI:  24-26