College basketball's first game between No. 1 and No. 2 in over three years met the hype on Saturday, as top-ranked Auburn edged Alabama 94-85 in front of a rowdy crowd at Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide mounted a furious second half rally but never led as they struggled to a 5-of-26 shooting mark from 3-point range.

Auburn (23-2, 11-1) now has sole possession of first place in the SEC and is in a strong position to win the league’s regular-season title. Alabama (21-4, 10-2) is still in the mix but has some work to do to catch Auburn in the final weeks of the season.

Four hours after NCAA Tournament selection committee chair and North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said he had never seen a team dominate so much to get the No. 1 ov