What Did Bruce Pearl Say After Losing to Alabama on Wednesday?

The Alabama Crimson Tide upset the No. 8 Auburn Tigers in a heart-stopping Iron Bowl of basketball. The Tide won 79-75 to jump back into a three-way tie for first place in the conference standings with Tennessee and Auburn.

For the Tigers it was the end of an 11-game winning streak in which each victory came by double-digits or more.

This is everything Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl said after coming up short in Coleman Coliseum.

Full Transcript of Bruce Pearls Postgame Press conference:

Opening Statement:

Disappointed in the outcome. Congratulate Alabama. They made 11 3's which is on their number here at home. We just didn't get switched out on them, put enough pressure on them on the perimeter in the first half. I'm really proud of my guys for bouncing back in the second half, the locker room was really positive at halftime. Guys were really encouraging each other. I thought the starters tonight played really well.

Johni Broome had a real advantage on the inside tonight and we took advantage of it, but he was terrific. He played like a first team all conference player and he did it at both ends, he scored, he blocked shots, he switched out defensively. Alabama's really, really hard to guard. They put five shooters out there on the floor. They can get downhill. They're a good team. We missed some shots tonight that you need to make to win against a really good team on the road. I don't know that many teams are going to come in here and win in our league. We were a team that had the ability and had a chance.

How did the light malfunction at the beginning of the game disrupt your team's start?

I don't think it impacted us at all. I gave Nate a hard time. I said, 'look, if you guys want a new facility, just get a new facility. You don't have to turn the lights off or something like that'. No it's was just one of those things that happens.

After having a lot of turnovers in the first half you cleaned it up in the second half. What was the difference?

Well I thought their ball pressure really bothered our guards. Point guard's the only position we're young and it disrupted us. I'm sure we'll see that. Aden only had one turnover, I think Tre only had one turnover and Tre played really well in the second half. I probably should have got him one more rotation there in the second half because he was playing so well at both ends. But you know, we had 11 for the game. Did a better job with the offense in front of us, taking care of the ball and getting organized in what we were trying to run. Down on the other end with their ball pressure, with their defense, they played really hard defensively and they were disruptive.

You came out of the second half and went on a 9-0 run. What was the spark or difference in the second half?

I thought we just got really good leadership. We've got great chemistry, we've got great kids and they got some stops and made some shots. We came here to win the game. You could tell we came here to win. We didn't but you could tell the way we came back in the second half - and the game kind of got away from us a little bit in the middle to end of the first half when Alabama came down and bang, bang, bang - made a bunch of shots.

How did Johni Broome's foul situation impact when and how you used him down the stretch?

Yeah, Dylan was great defensively great. Dylan had a great second half defensively too. We brought Johni back and he winds out fouling out so, I thought my decision to bring him back was brilliant. He was really good inside, he only had one turnover. He had five blocks and he had a lot of really good defensive plays. As far as Johni Broome's future? That's a pretty good game to send out. Because he's guarding the leading scorer in the league, Mark Sears. He's able to block his shot from 3. He's able to retreat and challenge him at the rim. Really, good. Really, good. Obviously he's able to score inside. I'm surprised he only got two free-throws.

How challenging was defending Mark Sears?

He's just so fast and powerful and quick. Because they space the floor with shooters, the floor is open for him to be able to get downhill and make plays. I thought both Dylan and Johni did a pretty good job of rotating when they needed to rotate over and we sunk. Alabama got some 50/50 balls after we blocked shots or after there was some rebounds. We've got to do a little better on the boards. They got 16 offensive rebounds and 21 second-chance points. I thought that and the 3-ball were the differences in the game as far as them getting 79 points.

Rylan Griffen got hot in the first half, what adjustments did you make on him in the second half?

He's very impactful. We did not switch out on him in the first half and so he's got great range and so he was able to take open shots but from great distance and that was - we did a better job of switching out, making him put the ball down on the floor.

What do you learn from this outcome that you'll build on?

They're going to run people out of here a lot. Like, period. They didn't run us out. Our guys will go, 'alright, we can compete on the road, tough environment against a really, really good team'. This may not be the outcome we wanted, but this is an outcome that tells me something. You've got to be pretty good to come in here and not get run out in this environment against us.

Aden Holloway didn't hit a shot but you stuck with him, how did he play on defense and why'd you stick with him?

Yeah, you've got to trust him and know that he's going to make a shot and he kept competing. I know he's frustrated. But he's a freshman. He's a really special player, a really special hard worker and like I said, Tre had a really good second half and we probably should have given Tre one more rotation.