Saturday marked the final day of the regular season for the No. 1 Auburn Tigers and No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide. The Tigers have dominated SEC play this season, which is why they are considered favorites to hold a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament when all is said and done. As for Alabama, they should receive a high seed in March Madness.
On Saturday, the Crimson Tide got the last laugh on the year and some revenge for a 94-85 loss earlier this season to the Tigers. With the game reaching overtime, Alabama guard Mark Sears had possession last, with the final seconds ticking off the clock. Sears surged towards the paint and unleased a layup shot just before the clock hit zero, and it hit nothing but net to get the 93-91 win.
While Alabama was celebrating along the sidelines, Auburn fans in the stands at Neville Arena began throwing rally towels at the players. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl marched towards the stands and urged the fans to stop throwing items onto the court.
The video comes courtesy of AL.com's Nick Kelly.
Watch Mark Sears hit the buzzer beater to upset No. 1 Auburn in overtime. Then Auburn fans threw towels at the Crimson Tide pic.twitter.com/haUcJbfbQ8
— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) March 8, 2025
Auburn fans throw towels at Alabama players after Crimson Tide's buzzer beater in overtime
It goes without saying, never throw items on the field of play or at players and coaches when you are in attendance for a game. Whether they are towels or bottles, it doesn't matter. Don't throw anything.
With this defeat, Auburn is now 15-3 in conference play. Even so, they are still firmly in first place in the SEC standings in terms of conference record. They should still hold the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament, starting Wednesday, March 12.
Auburn saw a big performance from senior forward Johni Broome, playing in his final home game at Neville Arena. Broome scored 34 points while shooting 15-for-28 from the field. Broome also logged eight rebounds, five blocks, three assists, and three steals. Yet, it wasn't enough for Auburn to hold back Alabama.
Sears, meanwhile, finished the game with nine points scored (three-for-nine from the field) and seven assists recorded. Yet, it was Sears' ninth shot of the game that mattered the most.
Now, the season-series is split between Auburn and Alabama. One has to wonder if these two teams will meet again, whether it's in the SEC Tournament, or the NCAA Tournament.