Tiger Takedown: Sears' Buzzer Beater Upsets No. 1 Auburn in Overtime

AUBURN, Ala.–– It was always going to come down to the kid from Alabama.

With the game on the line in overtime, Alabama's fifth-year guard Mark Sears sunk a floater through the net as the clock expired for the Crimson Tide to upset No. 1 Auburn, 93-91 in overtime inside a stunned Neville Arena on Saturday.

GAME WINNER!! pic.twitter.com/nFZqCSfPhf
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) March 8, 2025

Sears had one of his lowest shooting outputs of the season, but when the game was on the line, he delivered in the clutch. Alabama head coach Nate Oats said Sears bailed him out on the shot with a better play than the one Oats drew up.

"I think it was a good play call because it caused a lot of confusion," Sears said. "Earlier in the game, they were switching everything from guard to guard, so I did a quick handoff to Labaron, and they didn't switch. I was able to get downhill with my left hand, and I was able to get it off with enough time.

Alabama has been on the receiving end of some heartbreakers this season, and exactly one week after losing on a buzzer beater at Tennessee, the Tide had a redemption moment.

Saturday's game had everything you want out of a rivalry game between the two of the best teams in college basketball. Alabama led for almost the entire first half, but the two teams traded blows back and forth in the second half.

Regulation wasn't going to be enough to decide it. Auburn forward Johni Broome tied the game at 79-79 with 59 seconds left in the second half as part of his 34-point performance.

Both teams had a chance to take the game-winning shot in regulation, but neither could sink it.

Overtime was more of the same with players from both teams stepping up to make clutch shots. Broome didn't make a 3-pointer in regulation but made two in overtime. Auburn had a lot of the momentum in a tie game at 83-83 when freshman Labaron Philon got a steal and was able to convert on the other end to give Alabama an 85-83 lead in overtime.

"That steal, layup changed the whole course of the game that late I thought," Oats said. "He made some big plays. He was pretty good on defense. He goes to the free throw line and makes two big free throws late. He's got that it factor about him."

Philon finished with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal.

The Tigers took a 55-50 lead with just under 15 minutes to go in the second half, and the Auburn crowd was starting to get fired up. It appeared that Auburn was about to go on the type of run that could put the game away, but Alabama answered with a run of its own.

The Crimson Tide went on a 15-2 run to go up 65-57, but the Tigers continued to fight back with the help of the Neville Crowd.

A big play in the game happend with 10:52 to go when Auburn's Chad Baker-Mazara was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul.

Nelson made the statement play of the game with a thundering and-1 dunk over Auburn's Dylan Cardwell. It got the Auburn crowd fired up asking for a technical after Nelson hit the Crimson Crane celebration.

Nelson led Alabama with 23 points, his second-highest total of the season and best scoring performance in almost two months. He gave his teammates a lot of credit.

"The coaches drawing up plays for me to get downhill really helped, and then that kind of got me going and some 3s finally fell," Nelson said.

Alabama (24-7, 13-5 SEC) now splits the regular season series with No. 1 Auburn (27-4, 15-3 SEC) after dropping the last meeting in Tuscaloosa back in February. The Crimson Tide secures the 3-seed in the SEC Tournament and will have the double-bye.

"Hopefully this will get our guys some confidence going into the SEC Tournament," Oats said. "You know, we've got the bye until Friday. We gotta get our legs back under us, get our confidence back, and I think this is a big start."

This story will be updated.