The SEC’s first trip to St. Louis for the league’s conference tournament didn’t end well for one of its co-regular season champions.
Auburn, who entered the tournament as the top overall seed, was quickly dispatched in its first game thanks to a furious second half rally from rival Alabama.
The Tigers led by 10 points at halftime, but were outscored 50-22 in the second half in dropping their second game of the season to the Crimson Tide.
“It was a tale of two halves,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said after the game. “We did what we wanted to do in the first half. I thought we executed pretty well. I thought the zone was effective. We made some really good effort, energy plays.”
“At the start of the second half, they came down and flipped the table on us quickly. We didn’t get as good of looks offensively early, but I just remember out zone wasn’t nearly effective, and they made some shots and got a couple of loose balls. The next thing you know, it’s close.”
Auburn went the first 10 minutes and 12 seconds of the second half without a field goal, which marked the worst offensive stretch for the Tigers this season.
Defensively, Auburn had a difficult time keeping Collin Sexton under control. Alabama’s star freshman went for 31 points and knocked down 6 of 8 attempts from 3-point range.
Perhaps even more concerning for the Tigers was their inability to consistently defend the lane, as Alabama earned a 36-22 advantage in points in the paint.
And with Auburn’s relentless shot-blocker Anfernee McLemore out for the season, Pearl understands the potential challenges ahead.
“We’ve got to do a better job of building a wall and not having to have those guys have to make so many plays at the rim,” Pearl said. “I think we still lead the league in blocked shots. I’m not sure if we still do, but it’s close, right?”
“Part of the reason is because guys are getting there too easily to put us in position to have to block those shots. So our interior defense is a challenge.”
However, despite the loss, Pearl’s squad still finds itself in good position heading into Selection Sunday.
Auburn has plenty of quality wins on its resume, including home wins over Arkansas, Kentucky and Alabama, and road wins over Murray State, Tennessee, and Missouri.
Entering Friday’s action, the Tigers were projected by most to be a No. 3 or No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the Alabama defeat may not do much to change that outlook.
As for what Pearl and company will focus on heading into the weekend, it’ll have a lot to do with resetting and regaining focus after a disappointing result.
And Pearl knows that seeding will certainly matter when it comes to getting ready for the team’s first round game.
“One of the things I talked to the team about, and we’ll see where our draw’s going to be, but let’s say we’re in the 4 or 5 area,” Pearl said. “I’ve been a 12 before, and I’ve beaten the 5. But the most interesting thing about the 5-12 matchups is anything can happen.
“I want the team to understand that there’s as good a chance, no matter what, if we can advance past the first one, there’s a pretty good chance that the second one may not be the higher seed or the better seed. It’s a tough draw because there’s so many upsets.”
But no matter where the Tigers wind up, for Pearl, it’s all a part of the bigger picture in terms of what they’ve been able to accomplish this season.
Auburn captured a share of the regular season title for the first time since 1999, and did it having to overcome plenty of obstacles both on and off the court.
“I just want them to get excited about the fact that we’re going to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003,” Pearl said. “Losing today doesn’t take any of the shine off of what this team accomplished.”
“We just weren’t able to build on it by winning three games and winning our next championship.”
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