3 Puzzling Takeaways From Auburn's 96-92 Loss to Alabama

The Auburn Tigers lost a heartbreaker to Alabama on Saturday evening, 96-92, dropping their second consecutive Iron Bowl of Basketball inside Neville Arena.

Auburn once led by 10 points at one point in the first half, but a strong shooting surge by the Crimson Tide and the Tigers’ lackluster perimeter defense in the second period ultimately resulted in an Alabama victory.

Let’s take a look at three disappointing takeaways from Auburn’s loss to the Tide.

Poor Perimeter Defense

The staple of Nate Oates-coached Alabama basketball team revolves solely around one particular thing: 3-point shooting.

The Tigers did a solid job of limiting the Tide’s attack from behind the arc for the majority of the first half, holding them to just 2-of-8 from downtown in the opening 17:56 of action. However, after nearly 18 minutes of playing Auburn’s style at Auburn’s pace, Alabama drained three consecutive deep-balls during the closing 2:04 of the first half, cutting the Tigers’ lead to one and shooting 5-of-11 from 3-point land.

That momentum shift was a huge factor in the outcome, as Alabama was 7-of-12 from behind the arc in the second half and finished the game at a 52.2% clip.

Therefore, the Tigers’ perimeter defense completely collapsed in the closing 20 minutes. There were multiple occasions in which an Auburn defender, whether it be Tahaad Pettiford, KeShawn Murphy, or even Filip Jovic, didn’t guard Labaron Philon or Amari Allen behind the arc, and the Tide made them pay for it.

There’s a pattern to Alabama’s entire offensive system: paint touch, kickout, 3-point shot. If Auburn continued to play tough perimeter defense on the Tide’s dangerous 3-point threats for all 40 minutes, the Tigers would’ve had a much better shot of holding Alabama at bay.

Strayed Away From Offensive Plan at Moments

Auburn is not a team that is going to beat you from behind the arc and make 10-12 threes night in and night out, as the Tigers are averaging 7.8 made 3-pointers per game.

This is a squad that has proven to be most successful on the offensive end when they attack the rim, assert their paint presence, and get to the foul line. Auburn posted more points in the paint than Alabama (48-38), but the Tigers also shot five more 3-pointers than the Tide.

Auburn went 9-of-28 (32%) from behind the arc, while Alabama finished 12-of-23 (52%). In no world should the Tigers shoot more deep-balls than Alabama.

There were a few instances in which Auburn would throw up a 3-ball early in the shot clock without any real ball movement or attempt to get inside. The blueprint for offensive efficiency is there, but it’s puzzling when Auburn tends to stray away from it, especially in crunch time down the stretch of games.

Is Tahaad Pettiford Back?

Tahaad Pettiford has been one of the biggest storylines this season – and not for a necessarily good reason. He’s shooting below 30% from behind the arc, and can’t find a consistent rhythm on either end of the floor.

Pettiford posted a solid performance on Saturday, recording 25 points on 9-of-16 from the field (3-of-8 from deep) and seven assists, but it still doesn’t feel like the same fearless freshman fans saw from him last year. He may have totaled 25 points, but when those points come is certainly more important than how many are scored.

The sophomore seems to fade away in important moments, but as a freshman, he rose to the occasion almost every single time. Pettiford also committed a few costly mistakes late in the second half, including a couple of turnovers and a critical foul on Aden Holloway’s 3-point attempt that led to a four-point play and extended Alabama’s lead to six with under three minutes to play.

The sophomore almost left for the NBA Draft last offseason, but he has certainly seen a regression thus far this year. If Auburn wants to make a run this year and compete for something, Pettiford has to step up.