SEC Watch: Auburn's Free Throw Party Caused A Three-Way Tie For First

The Southeastern Conference played six more midweek games over the last two nights, one of which had significant implications for the league’s standings. We’ll start there in this week’s look around the league as March approaches.

Auburn Won The Iron Bowl Rematch, Giving Alabama A Second Loss

Auburn evened the score with Alabama last night, winning the regular-season rematch in Auburn to split the series in 2023-24. With the 99-81 victory, the Tigers pulled the Crimson Tide down a peg in the standings into a three-way tie for first place with Auburn and South Carolina. Tennessee is only half a game back as the other two-loss team in contention.

A Free Throw Contest

Auburn forwards Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome combined for 50 points on 15-for-29 shooting from the field against the Crimson Tide, having their way inside (although both Tigers hit a 3-pointer, too). Williams and Broome also did much of their work at the free-throw line. Williams went 9-for-10 and Broome 9-for-11 in a record night at the line for the Tigers. They hit 40 of 50 free throws as a team for an 80 percent clip. Alabama shot 28 of 35, also 80 percent.

That’s EIGHTY-FIVE free throws in a game that lasted two hours and 30 minutes.

No Kentucky Hangover For Tennessee

It would’ve been cool to see Tennessee fall flat on its face after leading in Lexington for all but 12 seconds in the beatdown of Kentucky in Rupp Arena. But, the Vols kept their foot on the gas in the return home to Knoxville, beating LSU last night by 20 points.

Unfortunately, the Wildcats may have unlocked something in Zakai Zeigler after he set career highs in the win at UK. Against LSU, Zeigler maintained his hot hand with 17 points, nine assists, and five steals. Dalton Knecht returned to form with 27 points.

Scoring Race

With 24 points at Vanderbilt, Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves moved back into third place in the SEC’s scoring race. Reeves is within a point of the SEC’s leading scorer, Mark Sears, and second-leading scorer, Dalton Knecht, on the season.

NAME	SCHOOL	PPG
Mark Sears, G	Alabama	20.3
Dalton Knecht, G	Tennessee	20.2
Antonio Reeves, G	Kentucky	19.7
Wade Taylor IV, G	Texas A&M	19.7
Tramon Mark, G	Arkansas	17.8

If The SEC Started Today

We need to be prepared for extra basketball in the SEC Tournament, Big Blue Nation. Kentucky is two games behind the double-bye conversation with one of the more arduous remaining schedules in the league. Ken Pomeroy doesn’t have all the answers, but he predicts a fifth-place finish in the SEC for the Wildcats with a projected record of 10-8. That needs to be better to take Thursday off in the conference tournament.

SEC Scoreboard

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6

AWAY		HOME
Ole Miss	65	(15) South Carolina	68
(17) Kentucky	109	Vanderbilt	77

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7

AWAY		HOME
LSU	68	(6) Tennessee	88
(16) Alabama	81	(12) Auburn	99
Texas A&M	79	Missouri	79
Georgia	62	Mississippi St	75

SEC Standings

	SEC	OVERALL
South Carolina	8-2	20-3
Auburn	8-2	19-4
Alabama	8-2	16-7
Tennessee	7-2	17-5
Kentucky	6-4	16-6
Florida	5-4	15-7
Texas A&M	5-4	14-8
Ole Miss	5-5	18-5
LSU	4-5	12-10
Mississippi State	4-6	15-8
Georgia	4-6	14-9
Arkansas	2-7	11-11
Vanderbilt	1-8	6-16
Missouri	0-10	8-15

Saturday’s SEC Schedule

DATE	AWAY	HOME	GAME INFO
12:00 PM ET	(16) Alabama	LSU	ESPN
1:00 PM ET	Vanderbilt	(15) South Carolina	SEC Network
3:30 PM ET	(12) Auburn	Florida	SEC Network
4:00 PM ET	Gonzaga	(17) Kentucky	CBS
6:00 PM ET	Georgia	Arkansas	SEC Network
8:00 PM ET	(6) Tennessee	Texas A&M	ESPN
8:30 PM ET	Mississippi St	Missouri	SEC Network