During SEC media day in October, Auburn forward Anfernee McLemore called Coleman Coliseum his favorite arena to visit because of the “look of disappointment on [Alabama fans’] faces when [Auburn] wins."

Alabama players brushed off the comment at the time, and again on Tuesday when junior guard John Petty insisted, “we didn’t pay no attention” to the perceived jab between rivals.

As it turns out, Alabama was very much aware of McLemore’s preference to play in Tuscaloosa -- one that was bolstered by the senior’s two previous wins in Coleman in 2017 and 2019.

So much so that, when coach Nate Oats’ players exited the locker room before Wednesday night’s game, the last thing they saw was a television showing what McLemore had said.

“We took it as motivation and just started working hard,” guard Herb Jones acknowledged after Alabama upset No. 4 Auburn, 83-64, in a game in which the home team never trailed.

Alabama’s official Twitter account wasted little time in referencing McLemore’s comment in a tweet minutes after the Tide’s win:

You should've seen the looks on our fans faces...



... WHEN WE WON.



Undefeated no more 👋#RollTide pic.twitter.com/qNWEirX1vS — Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) January 16, 2020

Oats might have forecasted the victory Tuesday when he said of McLemore, “We’ll see if it’s still his favorite place to play tomorrow.”

But the fiery coach actually thanked McLemore after Wednesday night’s win.

“I get what he’s doing,” Oats said. "Shoot, I got a lot of respect for McLemore. I think he’s a great player. He’s been in a lot of wins for them. I guess he’s gonna leave there with the winningest class in Auburn history. So I actually like him as a player. He plays hard.

“I didn’t mind him adding a little bit of spice to the rivalry. I kind of leave it out there myself a little bit. Maybe a little too raw."

Oats, though, still made it bulletin-board material for his team.

“It was nice he gave us that,” Oats said with a smile.

Crowd was huge for us tonight. Our players fed off the energy you guys brought! Loved the student section’s intensity for the entire game. Let’s make that a regular occurrence here at Coleman! Roll Tide! — Nate Oats (@nate_oats) January 16, 2020

Oats sought a sellout of Coleman Coliseum and got one Wednesday afternoon. The crowd of 14,474 included a contingent of Auburn fans who, during the Tigers’ runs at Alabama’s unbroken lead, were heard chanting in support of the visitors.

“[We appreciate] the [Auburn] fans who came out and supported the team,” Tigers center Austin Wiley said. “We still had to play better. They came out and it was a tough environment.”

The allure of a marquee upset win for Alabama -- defeating its highest-ranked opponent since No. 1 Stanford in the 2004 NCAA Tournament -- drew students into the arena more than an hour before the game and often led to the crowd drowning out any Auburn cheers.

“Now we know what it can sound like in there," Oats said.

Alabama will travel to play in Auburn Arena on Feb. 12.