
While Alabama failed to pull away during Auburn's first-half struggles, the Tigers went for the throat as the Tide faltered down the stretch. As Auburn continued its run, Cam and the rest of the students were worked into a frenzy, and by the time Newton made a guest appearance as the celebrity N, Auburn Arena was clowning so hard, one may have thought the circus was in town. Of course, while all this was happening, the student section was being led by a pretty noteworthy cheerleader.Ĭam Newton, the man Bammers love to hate, the man Bammers said would never be back to the Plains, was in the front row cheering against the Tide. Rob Chubb, Asauhn Dixon-Tatum and the rest of the team finally took advantage of Alabama's inability to rebound, and they took away the Tide's second chance opportunities. And because the Tigers were actually running their offense and handling Alabama's press, they were able to shoot better and avoid turnovers, keeping Alabama from scoring in transition, its one real offensive strength in the first half. That resulted in Alabama, which hadn't been shooting well anyway, not being able to get much of a decent shot at all. Barbee's players calmed down on offense, and stepped up the intensity on defense. Auburn went on a 20-3 run over the next 11 minutes and 37 seconds to turn a 10-point halftime deficit into a seven-point lead. The Tigers came out in the second half with more energy and more effort, and it immediately paid off. Whatever he did, it worked, and his players responded. He may have peeled the paint off the walls, but considering how much Auburn tried to force its play in the first half, it wouldn't be a surprise if Barbee took a more calm, tranquil approach. There's no telling what Barbee said during the intermission Wednesday. Auburn has been more of a second-half team at times this season, and the head coach has mostly done a good job of making adjustments and motivating his team before it exits the locker room. If the Tigers' play against Missouri embarrassed Barbee, the first half against Alabama must have been more than he could bear. They slipped right back into their old habits - losing habits." "I was fooled into thinking that this senior group, this veteran group had got it. "It was a little bit of fool's gold, because I thought our leadership was strong enough, having been through it," Barbee said. When I watch the tape, I told the guys I'm embarrassed to say I coach this team, and the majority of it is on me. "Our defense, our offense, special teams," Barbee said, allowing himself a small joke at his own expense. Considering the losing streak it was hard to blame him. The Tigers made six foul shots, which accounted for nearly half of their offensive output.Īfter a 14-point loss at Missouri Saturday - Auburn's sixth in a row - that wasn't as close as the score indicated, Barbee said he was embarrassed to be coaching his team, and he called out his seniors for a lack of leadership.
#Cam newton auburn basketball vs alabama free
Yes, Alabama was playing solid defense and forcing turnovers, but too many fouls allowed Auburn to get to the free throw line eight times. A whopping 23 points at halftime is nothing to write home about, and neither is a 33.3 shooting percentage, which 'Bama had in the first 20 minutes.

Yes, the Tigers were playing their worst game of the season, but the Tide weren't that much better. Unfortunately for Alabama, the Crimson Tide didn't bury Auburn in the first 10 minutes when it had a chance. Going into halftime, it appeared that Auburn would be lucky to finish the game with 40 points. The rest of the Tigers were totally anemic from the floor and too often committed bad turnovers thanks to Alabama's pressure defense. Sullivan was trying to do much himself forcing the pace in transition only to miss a wild shot or throw away a bad pass. The Tigers made 3-of-23 - 3-of-23 -shots from the field in the first 20 minutes, and Frankie Sullivan hit only 1-of-13 shots from the floor for the entire game. Frankly, Auburn looked as bad as it has in the Barbee era during the first half. The Tigers trailed at one point, 15-2, and they faced a 23-13 halftime deficit.
#Cam newton auburn basketball vs alabama series
But on Wednesday night, the Auburn basketball team polished off the Crimson Tide, 49-37, ending a six-game losing streak this season and a five-game skid in the series against the Tide.Īuburn didn't score a point until seven minutes had elapsed. It's been a dark couple of years for Auburn's major athletics programs, as the Tigers have routinely found themselves on the short end of the stick against arch rival Alabama.
