Auburn stuns No. 14 Alabama

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Posted 8:12AM on Sunday, January 13, 2002

AUBURN, ALABAMA - Kyle Davis was begging to get in the game and Marquis Daniels was imploring his teammates to stay in it. Daniels scored Auburn's final eight points and Davis came off the bench to key an impressive defensive effort as the Tigers blew a big lead then rallied for a 59-56 victory over No. 14 Alabama on Saturday. ``I just told our guys to stay focused, we're not going to lose this game,'' said Daniels, who had 15 points and nine rebounds. ``I was determined to win.'' Auburn (9-5, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) has won six of the last eight over Alabama, including the last six at Beard-Eaves Coliseum. The Tide (14-3, 2-1), who won one league road game last season, saw their eight-game winning streak snapped. Alabama, which came in averaging 82 points, shot just 30 percent and was 8-of-32 in the second half. ``Our defense took this game over,'' Auburn coach Cliff Ellis said. ``We won with heart. It wasn't pretty, but it was a win.'' Auburn led 53-43 with 6:22 to play, then was outscored 13-0 over the next five minutes. Demetrius Smith's layin gave Alabama a 56-53 lead with 1:30 left. Daniels tied the game at 56-all on a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1:04 left to deflate the Tide. ``Coach told me to bring it home,'' Daniels said. ``We were in the driver's seat, but Daniels' shot changed that,'' Alabama coach Mark Gottfried said. ``Our guys are very disappointed with this game.'' Alabama's Erwin Dudley was called for traveling on the other end and Daniels, a 57 percent foul shooter, hit two free throws with 34 seconds left for a 58-56 lead. The Tide then missed two shots and Davis who wasn't even expected to play after elbow surgery on Monday blocked Dudley's follow attempt. Auburn's Derrick Bird missed two free throws with 8.6 seconds left but Davis rebounded after the second. Davis was fouled on the play and came down clutching his hyperextended right elbow, which had caused him to miss the past two games. ``It's the most courageous effort that I have ever seen,'' Ellis said. Lincoln Glass took the 37-percent foul shooter's place at the line, making the first and missing the second. Glass was 5-of-9 from the line this season but led the team at 89 percent last year. ``At the end of the game, my arm was hurting so bad that I didn't really notice Alabama's last shot,'' Davis said. Maurice Williams rebounded the miss for Alabama and dished to Terrance Meade, who missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. ``We have to learn to finish games,'' Williams said. ``We could have taken that one, but we gave it away at the end.'' It was the third straight down-to-the-wire finish in the series. Auburn reserve Reggie Sharp won the last meeting here with a 36-footer at the overtime buzzer. Dudley's two free throws with 7.5 seconds left secured an 81-80 win in Tuscaloosa last year. Brandon Robinson scored all of his 10 points in the first half and had 11 rebounds. Davis, the league's leading shotblocker, had three blocks in 16 minutes, mostly in the second half. ``That was a courageous effort for him,'' Daniels said. ``He kept begging, 'Coach, let me go in.''' Dudley had 17 points and Williams added 12 for Alabama, with both grabbing nine boards. Leading scorer Rod Grizzard had seven points, eight below his average, and rode the bench for five minutes down the stretch after launching an airball from 3-point range. The Tide were 8-of-32 in the second half, missing all eight 3-point tries. Auburn missed its first 14 3-pointers and finished 4-of-21.