The Tennessee Volunteers are peaking at the right time, it seems.
Zakai Zeigler scored 18 points and Josiah-Jordan James added 11 points with 13 rebounds as the Vols knocked off the Alabama Crimson Tide 81-74 on Saturday night at the Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa.
The Vols’ game plan changed quickly in the game’s opening minutes. Center Jonas Aidoo picked up two quick fouls before the game’s first media timeout and ended up sitting out the rest of the half. Tobe Awaka came in the game in his place and picked up two quick fouls himself, which also sent him to the bench. As a result J.P. Estrella ended up unexpectedly playing several minutes.
The result was Tennessee having to find a way to score and defend without their big men in the middle, an area where the Vols held a clear advantage coming into the game.
To their credit, they did it rather well – at least for the first 16+ minutes of the half. The Vols held a 39-29 lead with 3:51 left until halftime. Alabama took over at that point, going on a 12-0 run to take a 41-39 lead and a world of momentum into the locker room.
Tennessee fought back to take the lead at 49-48 on a Dalton Knecht three, but Alabama went on a 10-2 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 58-51. However, the Vols fought and clawed their way back within a single possession, and they reclaimed the lead on a Jahmai Mashack three at 63-62 with just over 6 minutes left.
Incredibly, the Vols wouldn’t trail again from that point. Threes from Zeigler and James pushed the lead to five on multiple occasions, the latter of which put Tennessee up 75-70 with two minutes left.
Alabama couldn’t get a shot to fall in the game’s final ten minutes, going from the 10:19 mark to the 1:15 mark with no made shots, scoring only through free throws. An incredible accomplishment from the Tennessee defense against the top offense in the country.
Even Still, Alabama had a chance to tie the game in the final minute. Down 75-72, Mark Sears tried a three, but missed, and Tennessee secured the rebound, with the game turning into a free throw shooting affair for Tennessee to ice the game. Zeigler’s four and Aidoo’s two free throws were enough to put the game away.
With the win, the Vols move to the top of the SEC standings alone at 13-3. Alabama falls to 12-4 with the Vols owning the head to head tiebreaker. South Carolina – Tennessee’s next opponent – is second at 12-4. A win over the Gamecocks next week would clinch at least a share of the SEC regular season title and the number one seed in the SEC tournament for Tennessee.
Up next: Tennessee plays at South Carolina on March 6; Alabama plays at Florida on March 5.