Tennessee’s 13-point second-half lead wasn’t enough as Alabama rallied for a 71-69 win.
The Crimson Tide pushed tempo, scored in transition and attacked mismatches late to pull off the comeback, putting Tennessee in a tougher spot in the SEC Tournament race for a double bye. The Vols dropped to 10-6 in league play and 20-9 overall.
Here are three takeaways from Tennessee’s loss to the Crimson Tide.
Philon’s Mismatch Making
Tennessee controlled the game for most of the night, but Alabama kept chipping away by pushing in transition and hunting mismatches in the half-court. The Crimson Tide’s pace and switch hunting showed up late, and Tennessee never found a clean answer for Labaron Philon.
Late, Alabama repeatedly went at Tennessee’s bigs by using ball screens to force switches and get Philon matched with a forward. The sophomore created space with his speed and knocked down jumpers when Tennessee’s size was stuck in front of him.
Philon did it multiple times down the stretch. He came off a screen and forced JP Estrella to switch onto him, then finished a left-handed layup to pull Alabama within 67-63.
The biggest bucket came with 22 seconds left. With the game tied, Philon used another screen to shake Bishop Boswell and force Estrella onto him, then hit a step-back jumper over Estrella to give Alabama a 71-69 win. Philon finished with 23 points, 15 in the second half, as Tennessee surrendered a 13-point second-half lead.
Grabbing Everything Off The Glass
Tennessee has been dominant on the glass this season, and that continued against the Crimson Tide. The Vols entered averaging 15.8 offensive rebounds, then topped that mark with a season-high 25 offensive rebounds that led to 25 second-chance points.
Rick Barnes committed to winning the possession battle. Tennessee sent three to the offensive glass on nearly every shot, a game plan designed to limit Alabama’s runouts. Those extra possessions kept Alabama from getting into its preferred tempo and helped Tennessee control the pace. The Vols are the best offensive rebounding team in the nation, and Alabama has allowed 1.09 points per possession on opponent offensive rebounds.
Okpara and Jaylen Carey took the task to heart. The two combined for eight offensive rebounds and 18 points. Carey’s biggest play came with 1:37 left when he muscled the ball away from Taylor Bowen and Aiden Sherrell, then kicked it out to a wide-open Amari Evans during the scramble. Evans buried the three to push Tennessee’s lead to 12. The Vols built a cushion off those extra possessions, but they couldn’t close the game late.
Evans was Tennessee’s best rebounding guard on the offensive glass, finishing with five offensive rebounds. With 2:46 left, he attacked the boards and tipped in a miss over Houston Mallette for two of his seven points.
Outstanding Okpara
Okpara has dealt with a hip-pointer injury this season, and his production has been uneven at times. The senior followed one of his best games of the season against Missouri with another strong performance.
Okpara scored eight points, but his athleticism stood out on the glass and on the defensive end. He finished with nine rebounds while ill, including a putback after he worked around Alabama guard Aden Holloway’s box out. He also dunked against Alabama’s drop coverage with 11:16 left in the first half.
Okpara’s ability to switch defensively played a big part in Tennessee limiting Alabama. He switched onto guards multiple times without giving up ground. With 15:46 left, he stayed in front of Amari Allen and forced a miss at the rim. He also made plays as a weak-side rim protector, tallying two blocks. His biggest came about halfway through the first half when he rotated over to erase Holloway’s layup after Mark Sears got into the paint.
Against an Alabama team that hunts mismatches, Okpara’s ability to hold up on the perimeter let Tennessee stay connected without overhelping.
While there were positives to take from the game, Tennessee’s strength early in the game was what cost them late. Barnes will have plenty of film to go over as the calendar turns to March.
