BIRMINGHAM, AL — The Alabama men's basketball team wrapped up its preseason schedule with a 87-85 victory over rival Auburn Thursday night in the inaugural matchup of The Feud at Legacy Arena in Birmingham.
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Amari Allen led Alabama with 23 points, including 18 in the second half, while Qayden Samuels added 20 points, as the Crimson Tide outscored Auburn 34-22 in the paint.
Despite the victory over a quality opponent and rival, Alabama head coach Nate Oats acknowledged his team has plenty to address before the regular season.
"You know a game with Auburn, the intensity was what we expected," Oats said. "Two programs with pride that always compete for a win. This game is just preseason and doesn't go on anybody's record but it is still Alabama and Auburn and nobody wants to lose this game."
Alabama led 44-41 at halftime after overcoming an early six-point deficit. Samuels scored 14 first-half points, while Keitenn Bristow contributed nine.
The Crimson Tide stretched its advantage to seven points midway through the second half before Auburn responded with an 11-2 run to reclaim the lead.
The rivals continued trading baskets down the stretch, with Allen connecting on a 3-pointer to tie the game at 76 with five minutes remaining.
With the score tied at 80, Allen converted a layup while drawing a foul, completing the three-point play to give Alabama an 83-80 advantage with just over a minute remaining.
Samuels then followed with a contested shot with 36 seconds left, helping Alabama preserve its lead before the Crimson Tide held on for the two-point victory.
Alabama finished the night shooting 42% from the field and 32% from 3-point range. Defensively, the Crimson Tide recorded 12 steals and eight blocks while forcing 17 Auburn turnovers.
Bristow narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds, adding four blocked shots.
However, rebounding remained a concern for Oats, particularly after Auburn collected 22 offensive rebounds.
"We did not rebound the ball well tonight, but we got enough to pull out the win late," Oats said. "Rebounding has been an issue with us and it was an issue again tonight. We gave up 22 offensive boards tonight which is a major problem, especially their two bigs caused us problems on the glass."
Still, Oats praised his team's ability to execute in critical moments despite struggling at the free-throw line for much of the contest.
"We did not play very well but we figured out a way to win the game so I give a ton of credit to our guys figuring out a way to win particularly when we were down late," Oats said.
The win over Auburn followed Alabama's earlier exhibition victories to tip off the preseason, including a 92-84 triumph over Ole Miss in Birmingham.
Alabama now turns its focus to the regular season, which begins Tuesday, Nov. 3, when the Crimson Tide hosts Sam Houston at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa.
Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.
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