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Missed Opportunity: Auburn Falls to Alabama in Iron Bowl of Basketball

By Nicholas Ian Allen

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The Auburn basketball team led for the vast majority of the game, but when the final buzzer sounded, it was Alabama that celebrated a 57-55 win in the Iron Bowl of Basketball.

In front of a packed house at Coleman Coliseun in Tuscaloosa, a couple of seniors gave their teams the best chance to win the Iron Bowl of basketball.

K.T. Harrell led all scorers with 22 points and Alabama’s Levi Randolph was right behind him with 18 – and it was a missed shot by Randolph that made the difference. 

But not in the way you’d like if you were rooting for Auburn.

Jan 24, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Levi Randolph (20) blocks the shot of Auburn Tigers guard KT Harrell (1) during the first half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit:

Marvin Gentry

-USA TODAY Sports

With the seconds ticking away, Randolph was forced to take a bad shot, but Auburn didn’t properly block out Rodney Cooper, who grabbed the miss for a quick put back to give the Crimson Tide a 57-55 lead. The Tigers couldn’t get off a good shot with 4.7 seconds left on the clock.

Prior to the miss, Randolph had scored his team’s last seven points. Cooper’s put back completed an 18-8 run over the final 8:17 that erased an eight-point Tigers lead.

It was a tough loss for the Tigers.

“It was a tough locker room to go into,” Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl said afterward. “They were disappointed. But I’m proud of my kids. They represented Auburn tonight. That’s important to me. We’ve been getting blown out on the road. We’ve been out of games. But they battled.”

With the loss, the Tigers are 10-9 overall and 2-4 in SEC play. They are now 0-6 this season on an opponent’s home court.

Alabama’s size advantage proved to be the key, especially when it mattered most. Auburn was out rebounded 32-28 and 11-10 on the offensive glass, and the Crimson Tide had eight blocks to Auburn’s one. Alabama also had four steals and the Tigers managed just two.

In addition to Harrell’s scoring effort, in which he hit seven of his final nine shots, Cinmeon Bowers had 14 points and eight rebounds and Antoine Mason added 13 points and four boards. Unfortunately, no other players on the roster scored more than two points.

Overall, the Tigers shot 39.2% from the floor (20-for-51) and made only three of eleven three-pointers. That included just one of their final nine from beyond the arc after Mason hit the first two of the game to give Auburn a 6-0 lead.

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It was an ugly first half. Auburn shot just 32% from the floor over the first twenty minutes of the game – the fourth consecutive contest in which the Tigers shot under 40% in the first half and something they’ve done in all six road games. Still, Auburn trailed just 25-23 at the half.

An early second half surge, including a 10-0 run that included eight points by Bowers, help Auburn take control of the contest.

However, the momentum shifted after Bama guard Ricky Tarrant was ejected following his second technical foul with 8:11 to play and Auburn holding a 45-39 lead. Harrell knocked down both free throws to stretch the lead to a game-high eight points, but a steal by Randolph and a breakaway dunk brought the crowd to its feet and helped the Tide get back into the game.

The Tigers will be back in action Tuesday night at Auburn Arena against a red-hot Texas A&M squad that has won four games in a row.

Next: Football: Should Auburn Be the Favorite in the SEC in 2015?

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