Alabama fans, Chad Baker-Mazara exchange words following collision

Alabama fans weren’t in a good mood after facing a double-digit deficit against archrival Auburn.

The second-ranked Crimson Tide and top-ranked Tigers have never faced each other in a 1 vs. 2 matchup, and that’s added to the intensity of the afternoon. And it’s been rough going for the Tide as they’ve put together a disappointing performance in front of their home fans.

With Alabama trailing 55-41 with a little over 4 minutes played in the second half, Auburn’s Chad Baker-Mazara tried to go for a loose ball out of bounds but landed in the front row behind the basket. That led to a heated back-and-forth between him and a few Tide fans.

Here’s video from the ESPN broadcast:

The winner of this one takes over sole possession of first place in the SEC: both teams entered the afternoon at 10-1 in conference play. That said, the ramifications of the game — not only considering that it’s Auburn-Alabama, but that it’s No. 1 vs. No. 2 — could be much greater as it’s an opportunity for both teams to make a statement with just weeks to go until conference tournament season and March Madness.

Regardless of how this one ends, the Tide and Tigers will play once more on the final day of the regular season, and could very well face each other in the SEC Tournament, too.

Sydney Hunte

Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.