Bruce Pearl Goes Ballistic On SEC Officiating, Compares Alabama Basketball To Football Team In Angry Rant After OT Loss

Bruce Pearl was furious with SEC officials after Wednesday's loss to Alabama. Auburn dealt with foul trouble throughout the evening and its head coach was big mad.

Pearl's frustration boiled over in an angry rant during the Tigers' postgame radio show 'Courtside Cam' and he went ballistic. He believes that the poor officiating played a significant role in his team's loss to its in-state rivals, especially starters Johni Broome, Jaylin Williams and Allen Flanigan fouling out.

We should have won the game. Very, very disappointing. You know, obviously, they made some plays. We had a hard time staying in front of them, at the end of the day. I’m just sick and tired of our guys getting smashed down there! Smashed!

He came in hot and never relented!

Broome fouled out with 7:31 left in the second half. He and Crimson Tide guard Jahvon Quinerly went for the loose ball, which led to a skirmish after the play.

Officials went to review, gave two players a pair of technical fouls, ejected a pair of Alabama players, and gave Broome his fifth common foul. In turn, he fouled out.

Pearl was fuming and likened the Crimson Tide's play to that of Nick Saban's program.

There was a pass over the top and three guys kind of tackled him. That play? We're at Alabama, they play football over there in the football stadium. We threw the ball (and) a couple of defensive backs climbed on his back. Then the ball went out of bounds, I guess. I don't know. It was some sort of a scuffle. Our bench stayed on the bench and they had some guys come off, I guess.

To close out the interview, Pearl exploded.

We were incredibly outmanned at the end. Three, four guys on the bench in foul trouble…Joke!

As he exclaimed "joke," Pearl stormed off of the court. The 62-year-old threw his headset down as he walked away.

Pearl was pissed.

Auburn's head basketball coach has never been one to mince his words or hold back his anger. That was abundantly clear on Wednesday night after the Tigers fell to Nate Oats' Tide by five in overtime.