With in-state bragging rights, NCAA tournament berths, and the season as a whole on the line for the Tide, they suffered a second half collapse that was a microcosm of their entire season.
A hot start had Coleman Coliseum rocking with energy as the Tide made their first 5 attempts, including back-to-back three pointers, racing out to a 12-2 lead. To their credit, Auburn responded with five quick points of their own, but then another flurry of energy shot the Tide back out to a 10 point lead. Auburn went into a major scoring slump, only racking up 6 points over the final 7 and a half minutes of the first half.