Auburn Defeats Alabama
Last Saturday, the No. 1 ranked Auburn Tigers’ men’s basketball team defeated the No. 2-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide 94–85. In a battle of the best, the Tigers cemented their status as the nation’s top-ranked team and extended their lead in the SEC title race.
This clash between two rivals drew an average audience of 2.8 million, peaking at 3.5 million viewers, making it the most-watched ESPN game of the season and second-most across all networks.
Auburn’s victory was built on Johni Broome’s dominance. The Wooden Award candidate finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and a steal. Broome’s early energy helped Auburn jump to a 9–0 lead that silenced the sellout crowd in Tuscaloosa. Though Alabama rallied to tie the game at 65 with eight minutes left to play, Auburn’s depth took over. Tahaad Pettiford came off the bench to score 13 points, including clutch baskets in the second half. Meanwhile, Alabama struggled from beyond the arc, finishing just 5-for-26 from three-point range. Both teams meet again on March 8, with Alabama aiming to close the gap in the race for the top seed. But for now, Auburn holds the edge in one of the fiercest rivalries in college sports.
UConn Snaps South Carolina’s Home Winning Streak
On Sunday, the UConn Huskies delivered a statement win by dismantling the South Carolina Gamecocks 87–58, snapping the Gamecocks’ 71-game home winning streak. It was South Carolina’s largest home loss since 2008, and it marked the Huskies’ return to form under Head Coach Geno Auriemma.
Azzi Fudd was the star of the show, scoring a game-high 28 points, including 18 in the third quarter. Her performance, combined with UConn’s red-hot 13-for-28 shooting from three-point range, overwhelmed South Carolina. Paige Bueckers also delivered a solid performance with 10 assists, showcasing her elite playmaking and reminding fans she’s one of the best in the country.
UConn dominated the rebounding battle, outboarding South Carolina 48–29 while also scoring 31 fast-break points. The Huskies’ suffocating defense forced South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao into a tough night, and the Gamecocks shot just 3-for-17 from beyond the arc. The win was a much-needed confidence boost for UConn, whose season has been marked by ups and downs. Meanwhile, South Carolina will need to regroup quickly after suffering from multiple losses in a season for the first time this year.
Juju Watkins Leads USC to Upset Over Undefeated UCLA
On Thursday, Feb. 13, USC phenom Juju Watkins delivered a career-defining performance to lead the Trojans past the previously undefeated and No. 1 ranked UCLA women’s basketball teams 71–60. Watkins scored 38 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out five assists, and recorded eight blocked shots in one of the most dominant individual performances of the season.
She started hot, scoring 11 points in the first quarter and 14 more in the second. Her early dominance gave USC a slim halftime lead, but UCLA came roaring back with a 17–9 run in the third quarter to take control. Watkins responded on both ends of the floor, helping USC shift the momentum with clutch defense. She doubled down on UCLA’s 6’7” center Lauren Betts, who had begun to dominate the paint. Watkins’ defensive presence was game-changing, as her three blocks in a single minute of the fourth quarter helped USC regain control. With under six minutes left, Watkins turned a steal into a three-point play that gave USC a lead it never relinquished.
The victory catapulted USC into first place in the Big Ten, while UCLA will look for revenge in the teams’ next matchup on March 1. Watkins is the first Division I player to record at least 35 points, five blocks, and five assists in a game in the past 20 seasons.
Implications
Between Auburn’s statement win over Alabama, UConn’s thrashing of South Carolina, and Juju Watkins’ historic night, it was a week of shifting power across the college basketball landscape. As March rapidly approaches, along with the ensuing Madness, we will see if the teams who have won can recapture their success when it matters most, and if the teams who lost can steer themselves back into a winning formula.
