Live with the Tide: Alabama Basketball Hosts No. 4 Auburn in Pivotal SEC Clash

Follow along for live updates before, during, and after tonight's contest

TUSCALOOSA, Ala - The University of Alabama men's basketball team (8-7, 1-2) returns to Coleman Coliseum tonight to face off against undefeated Auburn (15-0, 3-0), after a trip to Rupp Arena where it lost to the Kentucky Wildcats, 76-67

Alabama enters this contest averaging 83.2 points per game, which tops the SEC and good for fifth-best in all of college basketball. Guard John Petty leads the team with 16.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. 

Tonight's contest should be a high-scoring affair as Auburn is also top-10 in the nation in scoring with 82.1 points per game. Guard Samir Doughty is the Tigers top-scorer with 15.7 per game. Center Austin Wiley leads the team in rebounds with 9.2 a game. 

The Crimson Tide is currently a two-point underdog against the Tigers. The over/under is set for 159.5. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m., CT, on ESPN2. Alabama announced earlier today that the game is a sellout. 

Stay tuned on BamaCentral for live coverage before, during, and after the game. 

Pregame

• Alabama starters: Kira Lewis, Jr., Jaden Shackelford, John Petty, Jr., Herb Jones, and Alex Reese. 
• Auburn starters: J'Von McCormick, Samir Doughty, Danjel Purifoy, Issac Okoro, and Austin Wiley. 
• Tonight's officials are Doug Sirmons, Todd Austin, and Will Howard. 
• Unreal showing from the students tonight. The section filled up within minutes of the doors opening. Coleman is ready. 

First Half

• Auburn wins the tip.
• Jones takes it all the way for a layup for the first points of the game. Coleman is rocking. 
• Petty bangs home a 3-pointer. Bama up 5-0. 
• Auburn scores on a Wiley tip-in, but Jones answers with a thunderous dunk.
• Reese drives in from the corner for another slam. Auburn turns it over. Alabama leads 9-4 with 17:01 to go. 
• Shackelford takes a charge and we head to the first media timeout. Alabama owns a 9-6 advantage. 15:50 remaining in the opening period. 
• Out of the timeout, Petty has his shot blocked. Auburn turns it over again on its next possession. 
• Galin Smith and Jaylen Forbes have entered the game for Alabama. 
• Lewis gets a steal and takes it all the way for the jam. 
• Smith fouls Wiley and he will head to the line. He makes both. Alabama leads 11-8.
• After Lewis gets his shot blocked, Jones takes a charge on the other end. 
• Beetle Bolden checks in for Alabama. 
• Smith fouls Wiley again on the shot. That's two quick fouls on one of Alabama's big men. He makes both and Auburn has cut the lead to one, 11-10. 
• Javian Davis comes in for Smith. 
• Lewis makes the put back layup. Alabama has made one of its last seven attempts from the field. 
• Wiley goes back to the line and makes one of two. 13-11 Alabama lead with 11:55 remaining. 
• Lewis takes a charge from Devan Cambridge. Lots of "blue-collar points" being handed out tonight. 
• At the under 12 minute media timeout, Alabama still leads 13-11. Jones and Lewis both have four points for the Crimson Tide. Wiley has seven for the Tigers. 
• Alabama is shooting 1-of-9 from beyond the arc and have committed five turnovers. 
• Jones fouls Cambridge on the dunk attempt and he misses both free throws. 
• Reese stops the scoring drought for the Crimson Tide with that layup. 
• Shackelford with a nice crossover and step back jumper. Bama up 17-11 with 8:40 to go. 
• Reese comes off a screen and buries a trey. Alabama starting to take control up, 20-11. On the next possession, Jones is fouled on his shot attempt and he will go to the line when we return from the timeout. 7:47 left. 
• Jones makes one of two. 21-11. Biggest lead of the game for Alabama. 
• Johnson fouls Petty and Alabama is in the bonus. Petty misses the front end. 
• Okoro drives in the lane and makes the tough contested layup. Jones fouled him on the way up. He makes the three-point play. Alabama still leads 21-17. 
• Lewis stops the 6-0 Tigers run with a layup.
• Another reverse layup from Lewis. The Crimson Tide lead is back out to eight, 25-17..
• Tough defense from Alabama forces Auburn's 11th turnover of the game. 
• Davis gets the offensive board and kicks it out to Bolden for a trey at the top of the key. Alabama up 28-17 with 3:23 left until halftime.   
• The Tigers have not scored from the field in the last 3:18 of action and have only made two of their last 15 field goals. Solid defensive effort from the Crimson Tide.
• Okoro makes the bank shot out of the timeout, but Reese answers with a 3-pointer. 
• Johnson hits Auburn's first 3-point basket of the night. Alabama leads 31-22. 
• Davis is fouled and he'll head to the line. He makes one of two. Alabama back up double digits, 32-22 with 1:50 on the clock. 
• Reese finds Petty for the full court pass to break Auburn's press. Petty scores a layup.
• Wiley misses two at the charity stripe and Johnson fouls Petty on the rebound. 
• Petty sinks two from the line and Alabama is in front by 14, 36-22.  
• Okoro responds with a 3-pointer from the top of the key. He then gets a steal and a dunk on the another end. A quick five points from the freshman forces Nate Oats to call a 30-second timeout. Alabama leads 36-27 with 25 seconds remaining. 
• Petty misses a 3-point attempt and Alabama heads to the locker room with a 36-27 lead. Okoro leads all scorers with 12. Reese leads the Crimson Tide with 10. 

Second Half 

• Auburn will start with the ball and both lineups remain the same that started the game. 
• The Tigers turn it over, which leads to a Lewis layup in transition. 
• Bolden is Alabama's first sub of the game. 
• Purifoy nails a 3-pointer and the Crimson Tide lead's is down to six, 38-32. 
• After Bolden misses, Wiley is called for a moving screen, his second foul of the game. 
• Jones takes his second charge of the night. Coleman is back on its feet. 
• Petty finds Shackelford on the fast break and he goes up, making the layup as he is fouled. He makes the foul shot. Bama up nine, 41-32. 
• Shackelford turns it over, leading to an Auburn basket in transition. Alabama now leads 41-36. 
• Jones is at the line, shooting two after he is fouled on a layup. He makes one of two.
• McLemore hits a 3-pointer and Alabama's lead has been cut to only three, 42-39, at the first media timeout. 15:55 remaining.  "Let's go Auburn" chants are resounding from Coleman. 
• Jones gets a basket taken off the board and is called for a charge. Momentum is shifting. He has three fouls. Something to watch moving forward. 
• Davis is in the game for Alabama. 
• Davis gets called for a foul and Okoro is at the line. He makes one of two. Auburn trails 42-40. 
• A Shackelford steal and layup puts Bama in front by four and Coleman is getting louder. 
• Davis is called for a foul and Wiley is back at the line. He makes one of two. 
• Reese hits a trey from the top of the key and Alabama is in front by eight, 49-41. 
• Reese comes up limping on the defensive end and he exits the game. 
• Smith checks in. 12:40 remaining. 
• Johnson rattles home a 3-pointer to cut the Crimson Tide lead to five. 
• Smith is fouled and he will head to line when action resumes out of the under-12 media timeout. Alabama leads 49-44 with 11:39 to go. Auburn has only made one of its last seven shots from the field. 
• Smith makes one of two and Alabama's lead is six. 
• Johnson is starting to get hot. He hits his second trey in the span of one minute. Alabama's lead is only three, 50-47. 
• Jones makes one of two from the line after he is fouled. 
• Lewis gets in the passing lane and gets a steal. He is fouled on the breakaway. Alabama is in the bonus. Lewis makes both. Alabama up, 53-47. 
• Okoro misses a three and Smith is fouled on a layup attempt on the other end. He sinks both. Alabama up, 55-47. 
• Cambridge commits an offensive foul and Alabama has the ball.
• Lewis commits a charge and gives it right back to Auburn.  
• Smith just picked up his third foul, but McCormick can convert one of two at the line. 55-48 Alabama with 8:40 to go. 
• Jones blocks Okoro's shot and it goes out of bounds on Auburn. 
• Alabama will have the ball coming out of the under-8 minute media timeout, leading 55-48. 7:39 left. 
• McCormick just picked up his fourth foul and Jones makes both at the line. Bama in front by nine, 57-48. 
• Reese has checked back in and is now wearing a knee brace. 
• Lewis crosses up Okoro and he falls to the ground as Lewis drives for a layup. he comes up hobbling after the shot and he exits the game. Shackelford replaces him. 
• After that foul by Bolden, Auburn is in the bonus. Doughty makes both from the line. 
• Bolden answers with a tough drive and score followed by 3-pointer by Purifoy. 
• Wiley fouls Bolden on the layup and thats his fourth of the game. Bolden hits both. Bama up 63-53 with 6:15 to go. 
• Jones fouls Johnson on the rebound. That is Herb's fourth. Johnson sinks one of two. 
• Lewis is fouled by McLemore and at the free throw line. Kira makes them pay and hits both. Alabama leads 65-54. 
• McLemore misses an alley-oop dunk and Shackelford makes two free throws on the other end. 
• Davis picks up his fourth foul. Purifoy scores two for Auburn. Alabama leads 67-56 with 4:47 to go. 
• Lewis hits his first 3-pointer of the night. Perfect time to do so. Alabama now leads 70-56. 
• McCormick has fouled out for Auburn. Bolden will head to the free throw line when play resumes. Alabama up, 70-58, at the final media timeout. Auburn has missed nine of its 11 shots from the field. 
• Bolden scores two. 
• Lewis finds Jones and he pump fakes and then scores. Alabama up, 74-58. 
• Flanigan responds with an and-one. 
• Bolden takes a charge from Doughty. Alabama is starting to sense a victory here. 
• Lewis scores an and-one and electrifies the Crimson Tide faithful as he flexes his muscles. Alabama leads, 77-61. 2:12 left. 
• Jones for Auburn misses two from the line. Alabama gets the rebound. 
• Lewis will head to line to shoot two. He makes one of two and Alabama has its largest lead of the game at 17, 78-61. 
• McLemore scores an and-one, but it's to little to late for the Tigers. 
• Lewis attacks the basket and is fouled on the way up. He will go to the line. Oats calls a full timeout. 1:12 to go. He makes them both. 
• Bolden gets a steal and is fouled by Williams on the drive to the basket. Bolden scores two. 
• Jones is at the free throw line and Alabama will clear the bench and put the reserves in. He makes one. 
• Alabama knocks off No. 4 Auburn, 83-64.