With conference tournaments just around the corner, men's college basketball is wrapping the regular season with its final games this weekend, and they haven't disappointed.
Here's a look at some of the most nail-biting and exciting matchups from Saturday's slates.
Sears, No. 7 Alabama get revenge on No. 1 Auburn, hit overtime buzzer-beater
Alabama guard Mark Sears calling card has been driving to the left all season, no matter where he’s at on the court and whether he had the hot-hand or not.
The left-handed shooter called on his signature move with less than three seconds left to hit a buzzer-beating floater and beat No. 1 Auburn (27-4, 15-3) in overtime 93-91.
The matchup lived up to the hype, with both teams rising to the occasion as the game clock lowered. The Crimson Tide (24-7, 13-5 SEC) controlled the first half, leading from the 18-minute mark to halftime by as much as eight points.
Although Auburn erased the deficit and took the lead minutes into the second half, Alabama found its flow again, going on a 15-2 scoring run. And with Tigers starting forward Chad Baker-Mazara getting ejected during the chaos, Auburn’s win probability looked slim. However, no basket came easily — the biggest lead in the last nine minutes of regulation was just three points. Tigers forward Johni Broome's layup with just under a minute left of regulation tied the game ahead of overtime.
With 30 seconds left in overtime and up 91-88, Alabama was one Auburn miss away from snapping its two-game losing streak. Broome landed another clutch Auburn shot, hitting a corner three with 15 seconds left.
That’s when Sears called game.
Getting a bounce pass at the right wing and guarded by Auburn guard Denver Jones, Sears stepped back, drove to the key with Jones on his right hip and threw up a left-handed prayer with less than a second left.
The shot was nothing but net. Seeing the basket go in, Sears mean-mugged the opposing crowd before being swarmed by his teammates, excited for the revenge win.
St. John’s wins overtime thriller on buzzer-beater over Marquette
In a Big East Conference showdown, No. 6 St. John’s (27-4, 18-2) snatched a dramatic win over No. 20 Marquette (22-9, 13-7) with a buzzer-beater in overtime, securing the 86-84 victory.
At the half, St. John’s held a narrow 36-35 lead, and after regulation ended in a 75-75 tie, both teams fought for the upper hand in overtime. With just 90 seconds left and St. John’s leading by two, Marquette's Chase Ross drained a three-pointer to briefly give the Golden Eagles the lead. But St. John’s responded quickly, as RJ Luis Jr. sank a three to put the Red Storm back up by two. With under 30 seconds remaining, Marquette's Kam Jones answered with a layup to tie the game at 84, setting the stage for the game’s dramatic final moments.
As time winded down, St. John's put up a three-point attempt but missed. The game seemed like it could be destined for a second overtime when Marquette grabbed the rebound, but Kadary Richmond came up for a clutch steal that set up Zuby Ejiofor's game-winning shot at the buzzer, securing the win for the Red Storm.
Free throws proved to be a significant hurdle for Marquette, as it made just 12 of 22 attempts, leaving valuable points on the board at key moments. Despite this, Marquette put up a fight led by Kam Jones, who finished with 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
St. John’s had a trio of impressive individual efforts. RJ Luis Jr. dominated with 28 points and 11 rebounds, while Ejiofor contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds. Richmond made his presence felt with 10 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists and four big steals. Richmond's triple-double was the program's first since Ron Artest vs. Seton Hall on Jan. 9, 1999.
With the win, St. John’s capped off their regular season with an impressive 18th conference victory, entering the Big East tournament next week.
No. 19 Kentucky downs No. 15 Missouri 91-83
No. 19 Kentucky secured a 91-83 road win over No. 15 Missouri at Mizzou Arena, powered by Otega Oweh’s 22 points and Andrew Carr’s dominant double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The Wildcats (21-10, 10-8 SEC) were unstoppable offensively, shooting 48.2% from the field, 55% from three-point range, and 78.8% from the free-throw line. Koby Brea contributed 17 points, knocking down three of five from beyond the arc, while Amari Williams added 14 points and hit 10 of 12 free throws.
Missouri (21-10, 10-8 SEC) fought back behind Mark Mitchell’s 22 points and seven rebounds and Marques Warrick’s 17 points. The Tigers trimmed a double-digit deficit to five in the second half, sparked by an eight-point surge from Warrick during a 10-0 run, but Kentucky responded with clutch shots down the stretch.
The win marked Kentucky’s second straight since losing second-leading scorer Jaxson Robinson for the season with a wrist injury. The Wildcats’ 11 made three-pointers in the game pushed them past the 1993-94 team for the fourth-most in a season in program history.
Both teams now shift their focus to the SEC tournament, where play begins Wednesday in Nashville.