Alabama Rallies Past Auburn in First Round of 2026 Iron Bowl of Basketball
The Iron Bowl of Basketball lived up to its billing Saturday night, with Alabama storming back in the second half to edge out rival Auburn in a tightly contested battle inside Neville Arena. In a game packed with momentum swings, physical play, and standout performances, it was the Crimson Tide who ultimately found the answers down the stretch.
Auburn came out firing in front of its home crowd, riding early energy to build a lead that stretched to 10 points in the first half. The Tigers looked confident and composed, especially after shaking off an opening three-pointer from Alabama’s Latrell Wrightsell Jr. Auburn responded with a strong run, dictating the tempo and finding rhythm on both ends of the floor.
But as we've seen before with this Alabama squad, halftime adjustments can flip the script - and they did just that.
Trailing by four at the break, Alabama came out in the second half with renewed purpose. The game turned into a back-and-forth affair early in the half, but the momentum swung when Aiden Sherrell stepped to the line and calmly knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Crimson Tide their first lead since the opening minutes. From that point on, Alabama never relinquished control.
Auburn’s duo of Tahaad Pettiford and Keyshawn Hall did everything they could to keep the Tigers in it. Pettiford poured in 25 points and dished out seven assists, while Hall added 24 points of his own in another strong offensive showing. KeShawn Murphy was a force on the glass, pulling down 12 rebounds to anchor Auburn’s interior presence.
Offensively, Auburn had a better shooting night than in some of its recent outings. The Tigers shot 46.5% from the field (33-of-71), knocked down 32.1% from beyond the arc (9-of-28), and converted 77.3% of their free throws (12-of-22). Those numbers usually put a team in a good position to win - but Alabama’s second-half execution proved to be the difference.
For the Crimson Tide, Labaron Philon was the clear catalyst. He dropped 25 points and was the only Alabama player to crack the 20-point mark, but his impact went beyond the box score. Philon’s ability to create off the dribble and hit timely shots helped Alabama weather the early storm and seize control when it mattered most.
The win moves Alabama to 16-7 overall and 6-4 in SEC play, while Auburn falls to 14-9 and an even 5-5 in the conference. For the Tigers, it’s a tough loss in a rivalry game they had within their grasp, but there’s little time to dwell on it.
Auburn will be back on its home floor Tuesday night for another big SEC matchup, this time against the No. 15 Vanderbilt Commodores (19-4, 6-4 SEC).
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT, with the game airing on SEC Network.
With the Iron Bowl rivalry heating up and the SEC standings tightening, both teams know the road ahead only gets tougher. Alabama took Round 1 - but this rivalry is far from over.