College basketball: No. 7 Alabama beats No. 1 Auburn on overtime buzzer-beater

The NCAA tournament is right around the corner, but madness in March has already begun.

No. 7 Alabama defeated top-ranked Auburn, 93-91, on the road with an overtime buzzer-beater Saturday in a regular-season finale.

Mark Sears drove toward the paint and hit a floater as the clock expired to give the Crimson Tide a huge victory. Sears had just nine points, but he scored the most important two.

Dick Vitale was on the call and delivered his patented “Are you serious?” Vitale returned to the broadcast booth this season after battling cancer.

It was sweet revenge for Bama, who lost to the Tigers, 94-85, on their home court last month.

The contest was a nail-biter the whole way, with no lead exceeding double digits. The largest lead of the afternoon was an eight-point advantage the Crimson Tide held with roughly 10 minutes to go, but it was quickly erased.

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Johni Broome hit a three for Auburn with 15 seconds left in overtime to tie the game at 91, but Sears made the best of getting the ball last. Broome finished with a game-high 34 points.

After losing just two of their first 29 games, the Tigers have lost two straight. They dropped a game on the road to Texas A&M earlier this week.