Auburn’s Defensive Lapses Prove Costly in Rivalry Loss to Alabama
In rivalry games, every possession matters - and Auburn learned that lesson the hard way in Saturday’s loss to Alabama. Head coach Steven Pearl didn’t mince words postgame, especially when addressing how his team let things slip away late in the first half.
With about three minutes left before the break, Auburn had a 10-point lead and a chance to control the tempo heading into halftime. But instead of closing strong, the Tigers unraveled on the defensive end - and Alabama pounced.
“We talked about it at the three-minute mark,” Pearl said. “We’ve got to finish with three perfect checkouts.”
But that message didn’t stick. On the very next possession, Auburn failed to box out, allowing Alabama’s Mallette to crash the glass, kick it out, and knock down a three.
Then came another breakdown - this time, a defensive miscue that violated one of Auburn’s core principles: don’t help off the strong-side corner. Alabama made them pay again with another triple.
And before the Tigers could regroup, they were late on a screen in transition, giving up yet another clean look.
Just like that, a double-digit lead shrank to four. Momentum swung, and Alabama carried that energy into the second half.
Pearl was clear: mistakes happen, but the issue wasn’t just one missed assignment - it was the sequence of them.
“You understand it’s going to happen every once in a while,” he said. “But it can’t happen three straight possessions. That’s what ultimately allowed them to cut it from 10 to four and have confidence going into the second half.”
And that stretch wasn’t an isolated incident. Auburn struggled defensively throughout the game, and those lapses proved too much to overcome against a Crimson Tide squad that knows how to capitalize.
“Got to guard. Just got to guard,” Pearl emphasized. “Our best players have got to be better defenders.”
That’s not a shot at his top guys - it’s a challenge. Pearl knows what they’re capable of.
He’s seen them lock in, rotate with purpose, and finish defensive possessions with authority. But in this one, it wasn’t there consistently.
“Too many times, we got caught standing up,” he said. “We weren’t on their right hands. We didn’t finish possessions.”
Against a team like Alabama, those details matter. And in a game defined by momentum swings and defensive execution, Auburn’s inability to string together stops - especially in key moments - was the difference.
For Pearl and the Tigers, the message is simple: the talent is there, but if they want to beat the best, their defense has to travel - for all 40 minutes.