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EspañolKNOXVILLE — Alabama basketball knew the odds its was up against at Tennessee, and it overcame them to snap a five-game losing streak.
All season, the Vols had taken just one loss at Thompson-Boling Arena and Hall of Famer Rick Barnes had the top offensive rebounding team in the country. He also hadn't lost to the Crimson Tide in the last five games of the series.
Meanwhile, No. 18 Alabama (21-7, 12-4 SEC) didn't have much rebounding on the offensive glass, or in general. The returning Elite Eight team got Aden Holloway and Amari Allen − its best three-point shooter and rebounder − back for the second game of the series, but it wouldn't have Labaron Philon at 100%.
Still, what the Crimson Tide had was enough to outweigh what it didn't, resulting in an 71-69 win as Tennessee's Ja'Kobi Gillespie went off for 26 points with three three-pointers.
Granted, the Vols had a poorer shooting night on paper, making 30-of-77 of attempts. They also got almost 20 more shots up than Alabama, which shot over 44%, led by 25 points from Latrell Wrightsell Jr.
Here are seven instant observations from the game.
Is return possible for Alabama freshman Davion Hannah
Although availability reports listed him as out, the freshman guard was seen warming up with the Crimson Tide before tip off at Tennessee. Typically, Hannah stands around with other sidelined players during pregame shootarounds.
Hannah hasn't played with what Alabama coach Nate Oats described as a "medical condition" since Dec. 17. Oats recently said that a medical redshirt could be considered for Hannah as well.
Labaron Philon checks in off of bench at Tennessee
Philon didn't get the starting nod at point guard, which was assigned to Aden Holloway for the second week in a row. Entering the game, Philon was probable and is still actively recovering from an undisclosed injury.
After first checking in with 16:17 to halftime, he went on to score Alabama's first bucket of the game with a step-back three. Philon finished with 23 points, going 9-for-14 from the field and 4-for-5 from the one line. He also had two assists of eight total for the team.
How did Tide handle Nate Ament in round two?
Over halfway through the first half, Ament − who scored 29 on Alabama in January − headed for the locker room on his own power after a collision for a loose ball involving Amari Allen and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. However, the Crimson Tide had held him to 0-for-4 from the field until that point.
Ament returned after halftime for two more minutes and scored two points.
Offensive rebounding plagues Alabama early
Before his exit, Ament led Tennessee with three O-boards to help the Vols finish the first half with plus-11 on the offensive glass. Alabama ultimately lost, 25-9, on offensive rebounds. That was reflected by a stark difference in second-chance points, as UT won, 25-10.
The late first half scoring spree that sent Tennessee running
As Alabama suffered a five-minute long scoring drought, UT went on an 8-0 run, sparked by back-to-back layups from Jaylen Carey. Ja'Kobi Gillespie who notched Tennessee's first double-digit lead on the Crimson Tide with 5:25 to halftime.
Nate Oats gives fresh look at big lineup vs Vols
Alabama didn't experiment with two centers on the floor at the same time until 7-foot G Leaguer Charles Bediako was added to the roster before Tennessee in January.
With seconds left in the first half, Oats opted to sub Bucknell transfer Noah Williamson in for Philon, putting him in a two-guard lineup with Jalil Bethea and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. alongside Sherrell and Florida State transfer Taylor Bol Bowen in the frontcourt.
Latrell Wrightsell Jr. keeps Alabama in game down stretch
One of the highlights of Wrightsell's sharp-shooting night was his trey to make it a one-possession game, extending a 6-0 run that started on an and one for Philon. After the veteran's sixth triple, Alabama trailed, 63-61, with 4:35 to the buzzer.
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for The Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama basketball snaps losing streak at Tennessee in comeback win