It was an exhibition game, but "The Feud" exhibition matchup between Auburn and Alabama at the BJCC had the feel of a regular season contest on Thursday night.
Frankly, in the grand scheme of things, this game meant more to those in attendance than any Mid-Major Championship.
Nate Oats summed up this matchup perfectly beforehand.
"I think the intensity of that game, the fact that it doesn't count, I don't think anybody in the game is going to realize the record doesn't go on your record. It's going to count in the state of Alabama," Oats said a few weeks ago at SEC Media Days.
Oats helped the game live up to that mantra. At one point, he was screaming in Kevin Overton's face during one of several scuffles.
Tempers flared between the first and final whistles and even after the final buzzer. The BJCC was buzzing with dueling "AU" chants, which Bammers would follow with the typically Tuscaloosa-classy "s***s."
What was the final score in Auburn and Alabama's exhibition game?
The Crimson Tide downed the Tigers 87-85 at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham on Thursday night.
Tahaad Pettiford and Bukky Oboye both fouled out for Auburn. That was a major factor down the stretch. Pettiford had 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists before being bounced. Oboye had seven points and eight boards.
Overton led the way with 26 for the Tigers. Adam Olsen hit 4/10 three-point attempts for 12 points.
Amari Allen had 23 points and Qayden Samuels had 20 for Alabama.
Ultimately, though, it came down to the final play.
After Drew Fielder missed a free throw with 3.9 seconds left, the Tigers ultimately weren't able to secure the rebound and call a timeout to get a shot off.
Auburn is now 0-2 in exhibition games after losing to Florida State 82-71.
The Tigers host Samford next Thursday at the Neville Arena to close out the exhibition slate.
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