Alabama Hangs on to Defeat Auburn in Third Exhibition

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- It wasn't pretty, and at times it got chippy, but the Alabama men's basketball team earned bragging rights over in-state foe Auburn four months before the two officially meet on the hardwood after defeating the Tigers 87-85 in "The Feud," an exhibition match in Legacy Arena on Thursday night.

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Despite both teams missing key players, including Alabama missing its two guards, Anderson Diaz (elbow) and Aden Holloway (suspension), the Tide and the Tigers treated Thursday night like a heavyweight boxing match, going blow for blow on the scoreboard and on the floor. Just four minutes in, players began to scrum under the basket, with Alabama head coach Nate Oats and Auburn head coach Steven Pearl right in the middle. Another strike was thrown at the end of the game, when Auburn guard George Kimble III swiped at Alabama sophomore forward Amari Allen, leading to another scuffle at midcourt before Oats and Pearl broke it up, shook hands, and sent both teams on their way.

Allen led the Tide with 23 points, showing his ability to create despite Alabama not having its primary ball handler on the floor for 23 minutes. Freshman Qayden Samuels also proved valuable to the Crimson Tide, scoring 20 points. Alabama ended the game making five-of-seven from the floor to clinch the victory over Auburn that may not count for the official standings, but does count for the state of Alabama and a Crimson Tide fanbase that desperately needed positive momentum after football has suffered back-to-back losses for the first time since 2013. Fellow freshman Tarris Bouie was the third Alabama player to score double-digit points, finishing with 14.

The Crimson Tide finished the game outscoring Auburn 11-7 over the final three minutes when the Tide entered the final stanza trailing by two. It's not all positives for the Tide after defeating its cross-state rival, however. Auburn outrebounded Alabama 51-42, but the Tide was missing key forward Cole Cloer after Oats said he had a "lower-body injury" that kept him out of the contest during the Crimson Tide Sports Network pregame show. Oats also said Cloer should be ready to go for Alabama's first game of the season on November 3 against Sam Houston.

For the Tigers, Kevin Overton led with 26 points scored.

The next time we see Alabama men's basketball, the games will count. Alabama's first game of the 2026-27 regular season is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.