Mark Sears’ floater at OT buzzer sends No. 7 Alabama past No. 1 Auburn, 93-91

All-American guard Mark Sears hit a game-winning floater as time expired, and No. 7 Alabama spoiled the home finale of rival and No. 1 Auburn with a 93-91 overtime road win Saturday.

The bucket from Sears came after National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome drained a 3-pointer with just under 14.7 seconds remaining. 

Alabama called a timeout following Broome’s 3-pointer, setting up a play for Sears. The guard got the ball above the 3-point line at the wing, getting the pass from Labaron Philon. Philon ran in Sears’ direction, causing some misdirection as Auburn’s defenders weren’t sure whether to switch. 

That hesitation allowed Sears to dribble into the paint, firing off a runner that went in. The bucket was only Sears’ ninth point of the game, but Alabama rode a team effort to take down Auburn and Broome, who had 34 points on Saturday. 

For Alabama, the buzzer beater served as a bit of justice for what happened last week. Tennessee‘s Jahmai Mashack drained a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Volunteers the win over the Crimson Tide. 

Saturday’s game nearly had the same heartbreak for Alabama. While Saturday’s game was a close contest throughout, Alabama held an eight-point lead roughly halfway through the second half and had taken the lead with 1:17 remaining in overtime. 

If the two teams were to meet again, it would be in the championship game of the SEC Tournament. The win improved Alabama to 13-5 in conference play, ensuring that it would finish third in SEC regular-season play and hold the No. 3 seed in the upcoming conference tournament. With the loss, Auburn fell to 27-4 (15-3) on the season, but it had already clinched the SEC regular-season title. 

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