UAB-Auburn Will Add New Chapter to In-State Rivalry
The Auburn Tigers will play at UAB for the first time since 1995.
By Ryan Nelson (@TheRyanNelson_)
UAB and Auburn will meet for the 19th time ever on Saturday. The Blazers hold a 11-7 lead in the all-time series, including an Auburn forfeiture handed down by the NCAA in the 1994 season.
The Tigers will likely enter hostel territory. UAB head coach Rob Ehsan expects a pumped up crowd at home.
UAB holds the longest win streak between the two, with four consecutive wins from 1988-1992. The Tigers will try tying that streak, as Auburn has won the last three meetings between the two schools, in years 1998, 1999, and 2015.
In 2015, this in-state rivalry was renewed for the first time in 16 years. It went down to the wire, and the Tigers walked away with a 75-74 win over the Blazers. The game was decided on a last minute block from Auburn’s Horace Spencer.
This game is historically competitive. The average margin of victory in this contest is just 8.5 points. Auburn has won the last three meetings by a combined margin of victory of 20 points.
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl will take a team led by two freshmen into what is sure to be a hostile environment.
The Auburn Tigers haven’t played basketball in Bartow arena since 1995. Now Bruce Pearl’s team will step into an arena named after then UAB head basketball coach Gene Bartow. The Blazers made eight NCAA tournament appearances under Bartow, including an Elite 8 run in the 1981-82 season.
You can find previews of the Auburn Tigers and UAB Blazers here.
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Don't have beIN SPORTS? No problem, this game will be live-streamed on Facebook Saturday December 3rd, at 8PM ET. Visit beIN SPORTS USA on Facebook to learn more.