TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Chuma Okeke brought Auburn back, then Jared Harper pushed the Tigers ahead with two driving layups to lead Auburn past Alabama 66-60 Tuesday at Coleman Coliseum.
Harper's tie-breaking layup with 1:10 remaining put Auburn up 62-60. After Auburn forced a turnover, Harper took it to the rack again, banking in another bucket that helped the Tigers sweep the season series against their in-state rivals.
"I was definitely looking to attack," said Harper, who scored 16 points. "I knew coming down the stretch I was going to have to finish. It was on me."
With 13 minutes remaining, Okeke stole an inbounds pass and promptly sank a 3-pointer, a sequence that exemplified a frantic second-half rally that saw Auburn outscore Alabama 43-26.
"I just knew they were going to try to inbound it fast to get up the court since we had just made a big play, so I just tried to stop that," Okeke said. "I just got in the passing lane and just shot the shot because I was open."
Harper's layup and Okeke's 3 - a 5-0 run in 8 seconds - pulled the Tigers within four at 43-39 with 13:01 to play.
"That was a big momentum change for us," Okeke said. "After that we just went on a run. We just did what we had to do to come out with the victory."
Okeke's double-double: 17 points and career high 14 rebounds, helped Auburn overcome an 11-point halftime deficit, part of an 18-2 run helped Auburn take the lead midway through the second half.
The Tigers forced 11 of Alabama's 19 turnovers in the second half.
"In the second half we guarded, turned them over, created some offense from our defense," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. "The two players out there who took over the game, Chuma Okeke, he's a nightmare to match up with. He can score inside and out. He can defend inside and out, and he's a terrific player. We tried to go at that matchup as much as we possibly could.
"Jared Harper late, as you would expect from an experienced point guard. Put the ball in his hands, get out of his way, let him get downhill."
The Tigers have swept their biggest rivals, Alabama and Georgia, in the same season for the first time since 1967.
"The game matters," Pearl said. "It matters at Auburn. It matters at Alabama. It's a great rivalry. The kids played with great effort."
Auburn set a single-season program record with 330 3-pointers, breaking last year's mark of 324.
Auburn trailed 34-23 at the half. Okeke led the Tigers with six points and six rebounds in the first half. Samir Doughty added five first-half boards.
Auburn did not attempt a free throw in the first half and did not get to the line until 14:10 remained in the game when Harper was fouled attempting a 3-pointer.
Auburn (21-9, 10-7) closes out the regular season at home Saturday at 11 a.m. CT against Tennessee on ESPN. The Tigers will honor seniors Bryce Brown, Horace Spencer, Malik Dunbar and Cole Blackstock.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer