Alabama Clings on to Stop No. 8 Auburn’s Winning Streak

Alabama takes down Auburn at home 79-75

Mark Sears tallied 22 points and dispensed eight assists, and Alabama held on for a 79-75 triumph over No. 8 Auburn on Wednesday night in a Southeastern Conference clash in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Rylan Griffen concluded with 17 points for Alabama (13-6, 5-1), which bounced back from a 20-point defeat against then-No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Grant Nelson logged a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Johni Broome accrued a game-high 25 points on 11-for-17 shooting for Auburn (16-3, 5-1). Chad Baker-Mazara added 11 points for the Tigers, whose 11-game winning streak concluded.

The Crimson Tide garnered a 46-41 advantage in rebounds and established a 21-12 lead in second-chance points. They made 11 baskets from beyond the arc, compared with five 3-pointers for Auburn.

Alabama led by 10 points with 14:57 to go after Nelson netted five consecutive points for the Crimson Tide with a dunk and three free throws.

Auburn rallied to equalize the score at 60-60 with 8:20 left. Jaylin Williams delivered the game-tying basket with a jump shot off an assist from Dylan Cardwell.

Wrightsell made a layup and Griffen made a 3-pointer to give Alabama a 65-60 advantage with 7:14 remaining.

Alabama did not fall behind from that point. The Tigers rallied to level the score at 67-67 but Sears made a layup with 3:58 left to break the tie and the Crimson Tide never looked back.

The Tigers began the second half with a 9-0 surge to pull within 44-39 with 16:39 left. Denver Jones initiated the surge with a 3-pointer and a layup, and Broome finalized it with consecutive dunks.

Alabama established a 44-30 lead at the half.

Auburn leaped to a 14-6 lead to commence the game. Broome scored the first six points after the opening tipoff, and he concluded the early scoring outburst with a layup with 15:08 left in the half.

The Crimson Tide responded with a 19-6 run to seize a five-point advantage. Griffen sunk a 3-pointer off an assist from Aaron Estrada to put Alabama on top 25-20 halfway through the period.

Auburn pulled within 27-26 before Alabama concluded the first half on a 17-4 run.

  1. College Sports News

    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

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  2. College Sports News

    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

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  3. College Sports News

    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

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    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

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