Tennessee’s men’s basketball program upended No. 1 Alabama on Wednesday night.
It’s not the only recent victory Knoxville has celebrated against the Crimson Tide. On Oct. 15, the Volunteers pulled off a thrilling 52-49 victory over Nick Saban’s esteemed football team. The upset briefly lifted Tennessee to the nation’s No. 1 rank and ultimately kept Alabama out of the College Football Playoff.
Following Wednesday night’s triumph, Tennessee basketball trolled its SEC foe by bringing up last fall’s outcome.
“Just like football?” the team’s Twitter account asked.
Alabama’s basketball program jumped to No. 1 this week for the first time in 20 years. However, Tennessee spoiled the milestone with an upset at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Once again, the Volunteers made a statement at the Crimson Tide’s expense. They snapped a two-game losing streak — both on buzzer-beaters — behind 15 points apiece from Zakai Zeigler and Santiago Vescovi.
“After those tough losses, we stayed with it,” head coach Rick Barnes told reporters after the win. “We didn’t splinter.”
No. 10 Tennessee improved to 20-6 with a 9-4 conference record. The Vols also likely cost Alabama its recently gained No. 1 spot.