No. 4 Tennessee took one other step towards securing its first outright SEC regular-season title since 2008 with an 81-74 win over No. 14 Alabama on Saturday in Tuscaloosa. The Volunteers, who received a share of the SEC title with Auburn in 2018, will head into the ultimate week of the common season with a one-game lead over Alabama and South Carolina within the convention standings.
The Volunteers (23-6, 13-3) prolonged their win streak to 6 video games and snapped Alabama’s 16-game SEC house profitable streak that dated again to the conclusion of the 2022 marketing campaign. Tennessee defeated Alabama 91-71 within the first matchup between the 2 in Knoxville on Jan. 20.
Alabama (20-9, 12-4 SEC) had an opportunity to tie the sport with 37 seconds remaining, however star guard Mark Sears missed a 3-pointer on the high of the important thing.
The Crimson Tide restricted Tennessee star Dalton Knecht to 13 factors — his lowest scoring output since dropping eight factors within the SEC opener towards Ole Miss. Knecht had scored a minimum of 20 factors in 5 of his final seven video games, however he did make his mark as Tennessee fought to tug away within the second half.
4 of Tennessee’s starters scored in double-figures, which included Zakai Zeigler ending with 13 of his team-high 18 factors within the second half. Zeigler knocked down 4 free throws within the remaining minutes and Jonas Aidoo transformed each of his makes an attempt from the charity stripe to assist Tennessee choose up its sixth Quad 1 win of the season.
Tennessee would safe the No. 1 total seed within the SEC Match by profitable out. Alabama will want Tennessee to lose considered one of its remaining two video games towards South Carolina or Kentucky subsequent week to clinch a minimum of a share of its third SEC title within the final 4 years.
SEC title race coming into focus
The race for the SEC regular-season crown is taking form heading into the ultimate week as Tennessee controls its future. The winner of subsequent week’s South Carolina-Tennessee recreation is assured a minimum of a share of the SEC regular-season title because the Gamecocks personal the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Vols because of a 63-59 win in Knoxville earlier this 12 months.
Tennessee, in the meantime, holds the head-to-head tiebreaker towards Alabama primarily based on Saturday’s consequence and a win earlier this season at house. If the Vols deal with enterprise on Wednesday, they’d nearly actually be assured the No. 1 total seed within the SEC Match primarily based on tiebreakers.
Within the newest Bracketology projections from CBS Sports activities professional Jerry Palm, Tennessee was on the No. 2 line with Kansas, Marquette and Arizona. If the Vols win the SEC common season and/or the convention title, they’ll have an actual case to dethrone considered one of Purdue, Houston, North Carolina or UConn as a No. 1 seed. This efficiency on the street generally is a constructing block for that argument.
Alabama limiting Knecht is an effective signal
There aren’t many gamers within the nation who’re scoring the ball at the next clip proper now than Knecht because the Northern Colorado switch has exploded for 25 or extra factors in eight convention video games. He was restricted to his worst offensive efficiency in almost two months towards an influence convention crew that provides up extra factors than anybody else.
Alabama sits at No. 334 in scoring protection (79.2 factors per recreation), which ranks simply forward of Michigan for the worst protection among the many main conferences within the sport. The ultimate rating might not mirror it, however the Crimson Tide have been a lot better defensively. They held Tennessee to proper round its season common, and a part of that inflation was on account of Alabama’s late-game fouling.
Foul hassle actually harm each groups. Alabama beginning ahead Grant Nelson fouled out with 6:44 remaining and was restricted to 16 minutes. In Nelson’s absence, reserve massive man Nick Pringle answered the decision by recording 13 factors and 9 rebounds on 4-of-4 capturing.
Alabama will win video games in March due to its deadly offense. If the protection can hover simply round common, like Saturday’s efficiency, it may end in a deep NCAA Match run.
