Alabama wraps up SEC title with gutsy comeback win over Auburn
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Alabama took any drama out of the regular season finale against Texas A&M, mounting a second-half comeback to beat Auburn Wednesday night.
Despite facing a double-digit deficit after halftime, Nate Oats’ team mounted a rally to force overtime. Riding all of the momentum, the Crimson Tide finished off the 90-85 victory behind Jahvon Quinerly’s 24 points and a trio of players that scored 17 apiece.
With the win, Alabama locked up the regular season SEC championship. With the Tide carrying a 16-1 league record, Texas A&M at 14-3 will be unable to play for a share of the regular season title in the season finale. The win also gives Alabama a season sweep over Auburn.
Like most rivalry games, the second half became increasingly heated during Alabama’s comeback. That included a tense exchange that led to multiple Alabama players getting ejected for leaving the bench during an altercation.
What it means moving forward
While the SEC title is a nice accolade, this Alabama team has a right to aim even higher this season. The Crimson Tide remain the No. 1 team in the nation with one game to go in the regular season.
At this point, Alabama’s claim to the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament should be about locked up. And with Brandon Miller leading a deep and talented team, Alabama will have all eyes on a Final Four run in March Madness.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
