A three-pointer by Jabari Smith Jr. gave No. 4 Auburn a 14-point lead over No. 24 Alabama with 7:57 left in the game. After that, it seemed as if the Tigers were about to run away with a big win against the rival Crimson Tide.

That's not how this rivalry goes. Alabama quickly responded with a 14-point run to tie the game with 4:04 left. On the heels of a potential collapse against its biggest rival, Auburn dug in and made sure that the Tide wouldn't walk out with a victory as the Tigers pulled out an 81-77 win in Tuscaloosa.

Jabari Smith, who scored a career-high 25 points, made two free throws to give Auburn the lead again with 3:24 to go. After two foul shots from the Tide, K.D. Johnson, who posted 13 points and eight rebounds, drove down the lane for a layup to give the Tigers an edge again.

"It felt great," Smith said. "This is a great game that we were looking forward to ... It was anybody's game. We stayed within us."

Alabama had its chances to take its first lead since the first half in the final minute, but Auburn's defense held out, and four clutch free throws from Allen Flanigan (10 points, four rebounds) closed it out as Bruce Pearl's squad won its 15th game of the year, and 12th straight.

"Flanigan makes four straight free throws," Pearl said. "To make four free throws and not even hit the rim, nothing but net, talk about making history."

Wendell Green Jr. finished with 19 points, three steals and three rebounds, while Dylan Cardwell, filling in for Walker Kessler, who found himself in foul trouble for most of the game, posted six rebounds and four blocks, including the game-sealing block with 13 seconds left.

Auburn players, including Flanigan, went into the karate kick pose that Alabama's football team made popular this past season as the final buzzer sounded. It was personal to the junior guard.

"The (Alabama) football team did it to us," Flanigan said. "They came right there to the end zone and did the little karate kid, so we did it to them after that."