Nate Oats Reflects on Alabama’s Late-Game Collapse in 94-85 IBOB Loss, Acknowledges Auburn’s Performance but Expresses Frustration with His Team

In the aftermath of Alabama’s 94-85 loss to Auburn in the intense Iron Bowl of Basketball (IBOB), head coach Nate Oats had mixed feelings. While acknowledging Auburn’s strong performance, Oats could not hide his frustration with his team’s late-game collapse, a factor that saw Alabama squander a 14-point lead.

During the postgame press conference, Oats appeared tense and passive-aggressive when responding to questions from reporters about his team’s inability to close out the game. His responses hinted at his dissatisfaction, as he balanced the need to credit Auburn’s defense with his own team’s shortcomings.

“I don’t have an answer to why that may have happened. Maybe you give some credit to Auburn. It was a tight game,” Oats said, seemingly trying to deflect blame while still offering respect to the Tigers. “They were playing hard and forced some tough shots. They’re a good defensive team. They put together a good game plan. If there’s a tight game, we have to do a better job finding better shots if the game’s tight.”

Oats continued to address the late-game struggles, acknowledging human nature in high-pressure situations but stopping short of offering an explanation for

his team’s poor performance down the stretch. “There’s human nature and a tendency to loosen up. So maybe when they were up 14, maybe they gave up some better shots to us. I don’t know. I don’t have a great answer to that,” Oats said.

Despite a strong rebounding performance from Alabama, winning the battle by a +9 margin, Oats struggled to pinpoint the reasons behind his team’s offensive struggles. “A good stat. As I’m watching the game and breaking it down, I’ll be looking at why we went (2 of 13) when the game was tight. I don’t have a great answer to that one right now,” he added, expressing his frustration over his team’s poor shooting, particularly in key moments.

The Crimson Tide had opportunities to win the game but failed to capitalize on them, despite a stronger overall performance in terms of rebounding and fewer fouls compared to Auburn. The late-game collapse, with Alabama outscored by six in the final six minutes, highlighted the Crimson Tide’s struggles to execute in crucial moments.

While Alabama’s shooting woes are ultimately the responsibility of the players, Oats himself shoulders part of the blame for not getting his team into better positions to execute. Auburn’s coach Bruce Pearl, on the other hand, had his players firing on all cylinders, with the Tigers’ offense creating better looks and the defense frustrating Alabama’s offensive flow.

Oats didn’t hesitate to credit Auburn’s game plan and defensive execution, but his frustration with his team’s failure to finish the game was evident. The wound from the loss was still fresh for the Alabama coach, and his reaction to the postgame questions reflected his disappointment. While Oats gave Auburn their due, it was clear that his focus was on finding a way to correct the mistakes and avoid similar late-game collapses moving forward.

In the end, the loss served as a reminder for Alabama that, while their team is talented, executing under pressure remains a critical component for success. For Oats, the task now is to regroup and ensure his players are better prepared to finish games when the stakes are high.