Did Alabama tackle football vs. Auburn play basketball? Bruce Pearl thinks so

TUSCALOOSA — Auburn basketball went into the Coleman Coliseum on Wednesday and nearly destroyed No. 2 Alabama. After overtime, however, Crimson Tide prevailed with a five-point win.

Part of the reason for Alabama’s success in overtime was the fact that three Tigers — Johni Broome, Allen Flanigan and Jaylin Williams — fouled. Broome and Williams were disqualified at the end of the regulations, and Flanigan committed his fifth offense when just over three minutes remained in overtime.

Broome fouled at 7:31 of the second half after Williams threw him inside with a pass with the smaller Mark Sears on the hip. Jahvon Quinerly came over the top for a steal attempt. Both Broome and Quinerly went for the ball and Broome went down with a crash.

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There was a skirmish afterwards which led to a review. Officials eventually called two technical fouls on Quinerly and Wendell Green Jr., named Broome for his fifth foul together, and expelled two Alabama players — Charles Bediako and Rylan Griffen.

When asked if he received an explanation from the referees, Pearl explained what he believed happened.

“Well, I have to see the play,” Pearl said. “… There was a pass over the top and three guys kind of attacked it. The game? We’re in Alabama, they’re playing football at the football stadium there. We threw the ball (and) a few defenders climbed onto his back. Then the ball went wide, I guess. I don’t know. It was kind of a scuffle. Our bench stayed on the bench and they dropped some guys I guess.

“So the explanation was (it was) his fifth foul.”

Pearl also addressed how bad it was losing Broome and the overarching issues he has with how Broome is officiated.

The story goes on

“He’s our launch center,” Pearl said. “(He) probably takes the fewest free throws of any center in the league. And he’s in terrible trouble every game.”

He also expressed his frustration on the Auburn radio show after the loss.

“I’m sick of our boys getting crushed down there,” Pearl said. “Smashed. … Dylan Cardwell is injured, he probably won’t play Tennessee because of his injury. We need his physicality. He was fouled down there at the end of the game. …

“In the end we were incredibly inferior. We had 3-4 guys on the bench in terrible trouble. Joke.”

The Tigers wrap up their regular season against Tennessee on Saturday (1 p.m. CT, ESPN) at Neville Arena.

Richard Silva is the Auburn Athletics Beat Writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter at @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Bruce Pearl Says Alabama Played Football Defense vs. Auburn Basketball