Bruce Pearl reacts to Auburn's win over Alabama: 'We acted like we were the No. 1 team'

For the second time in his career, Bruce Pearl won a No. 1 vs. No. 2 game. This time, his Auburn Tigers were the top team in the country, taking down Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

The last time Pearl won one of those matchups, he was the head coach at Tennessee, taking down No. 1 Memphis in 2008. This time around, Auburn took control in the first half, but had to fight off a second-half comeback by Alabama.

The Tigers responded, and they came away with the 94-85 victory. To Pearl, it was the culmination of a week of preparation as Auburn embraced the No. 1 ranking in multiple ways.

“You walk into our locker room, there’s a sign that says, ‘Make History,'” Pearl told ESPN’s Jess Sims after the game. “These kids are never going to forget this 1 vs. 2 matchup. We played great from start to finish. We acted like we were the No. 1 team, we prepared like we were the No. 1 team and we are the No. 1 team in the country.”

Auburn took a 42-33 lead into halftime, but Alabama mounted a furious comeback to tie the game up at 68-68 with 7:23 left in the game. But the Tigers were able to answer, ending the game on a 26-17 run from that opint.

Johni Broome had a monster game, totaling 19 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and two blocks to lead the charge. Denver Jones also had a big day, finishing with 16 points and a team-best 3-for-5 showing from three-point territory. All the while, Auburn held Alabama to 85 points – less than the Crimson Tide’s season average of 90.5.

Bruce Pearl noted its his team’s overall effort, which he knew it would take against a high-powered Alabama team. But he also gave Nate Oats credit not just for building the roster, but also the atmosphere at Coleman Coliseum.

In fact, Pearl had to go back to his time at Tennessee to find a comparison for Saturday.

“The love was spread all around,” Pearl said. “Denver Jones was kind of amazing. Johni, obviously, is a handful on the inside. But it was a great team effort. To hold them down to 85 and to hold them down with all those three-balls, my coaching staff did a great job with the preparation. Look, we’re going to see those guys again and maybe again.

“Good for Alabama. Coach has done an amazing job with that club, and this was a great environment. The best environment I’ve been in [in] Coleman since I’ve been, even the coach at Tennessee.”