Tennessee takes down newly minted No. 1 Alabama
KNOXVILLE, TENN. (AP) >> Zakai Zeigler and Santiago Vescovi each scored 15 points and No. 10 Tennessee took down newly minted No. 1 Alabama 68-59 on Wednesday night.
Playing its first game as the topranked team since the 2002-03 season, the Crimson Tide (22-4, 12-1 SEC) led just once in the early going and committed 19 turnovers.
Unlike football, when Tennessee fans stormed their home field after beating No. 3 Alabama 52-49 in October, this sellout crowd stayed in the seats when it was over. “Rocky Top” loudly blared as the Volunteers (20-6, 9-5) ended a two-game skid.
Alabama became the last Power 5 men’s team to lose a conference game this season. The Tide reached No. 1 in the latest poll by The Associated Press on Monday, but its only lead in this game came at 12-11.
Jonas Aidoo had 12 points and 11 rebounds for Tennessee.
Brandon Miller led Alabama with 15 points, Jaden Bradley added 14 and Nimari Burnett had 11.
Plavsic connected on a threepoint play to give Tennessee a 5647 lead with just over five minutes left in the game.
Vescovi tossed a lob that Olivier Nkamhoua caught in mid-air and followed with a slam to put Tennessee ahead 19-15 with 7:42 to play in the first half. It was tied at 29 at the break.
POLL IMPLICATIONS Alabama: Alabama is 14-13 against Top 25 teams during Nate
Oats’ five years as coach.
Tennessee: A pair of buzzer-beating losses only cost the Vols four places in this week’s poll. … Tennessee has won six of its last seven games against Top 10 teams. … Earlier this season, the Vols lost at No. 9 Arizona.
BIG PICTURE
Alabama: Big man Charles Bediako has been hobbled with a “minor knee injury” he sustained in Saturday’s win over Auburn. He was able to play in the game. … Heading into the game, Brandon Miller is the only Division I player to score 470 points, grab 200 rebounds and make 75 3-pointers. … Zeigler was matched up against Miller’s team in an AAU game a couple years ago when he caught the eye of Vols coach Rick Barnes.
Tennessee: Two starters — Josiah-Jordan James (ankle) and Julian Phillips (hip flexor) — have been struggling with injuries and missed the game. … Six of Tennessee’s seven final games are against teams in the upper half of the SEC . ... How special was Wednesday night’s game? More than 20,000 Vols fans made an orange and white checkerboard out of Thompson-Boling Arena, something that’s only done once a season. ... Sophomore Jahmai Mashack made his first career start.