Alabama Upsets Tennessee to Advance in SEC Tournament

Crimson Tide knock off 6-seed Lady Vols, set to face Texas in quarterfinals

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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The 11-seed Alabama Crimson Tide picked up its second straight upset win in the SEC Tournament, defeating 6-seed Tennessee 76-64 on Thursday night. Led by 23 points from Jessica Timmons, Alabama never trailed in the game and avenged an earlier regular season loss to the Lady Vols. Senior Karly Weathers contributed 4 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 steals in 37 minutes of play.

Why it matters

Alabama's victory over Tennessee marks the second straight upset win for the Crimson Tide in the SEC Tournament, showcasing the team's grit and determination. The win also sets up a quarterfinal matchup against 3-seed Texas, providing Alabama an opportunity to continue its tournament run and potentially earn an NCAA Tournament bid.

The details

Alabama was able to avenge its earlier regular season loss to Tennessee by executing the game plan laid out by head coach Kristy Curry. The Crimson Tide never trailed in the game and was led by a strong performance from Jessica Timmons, who scored a team-high 23 points. Senior Karly Weathers, despite scoring just 4 points, made an impact with 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 steals.

  • Alabama defeated Tennessee on Thursday, March 5, 2026 in the Second Round of the SEC Tournament.
  • Alabama will face 3-seed Texas in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 6, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network.

The players

Kristy Curry

The head coach of the Alabama women's basketball team.

Jessica Timmons

A standout player for Alabama, leading the team with 23 points in the win over Tennessee.

Karly Weathers

A senior guard for Alabama who contributed 4 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 steals in 37 minutes of play.

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What they’re saying

“This is a great team win. A lot of grit, a lot of toughness. Made plays when we needed to. Stayed consistent. I thought we played really good team basketball, and just really happy for our team to survive and advance and get to play another day.”

— Kristy Curry, Head Coach (Alabama Athletics)

“That was our first loss at home. I think we understood that we can hang with them for four quarters. All the mistakes being made, they were on ourselves, energy, hustle plays. Our coaches did a good job of showing us film on what we didn't do right and what we can control. We came out, used the plans that the coaches gave us, and we executed that on the court today.”

— Jessica Timmons (Alabama Athletics)

What’s next

Alabama will face 3-seed Texas in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament on Friday, March 6, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network.

The takeaway

Alabama's upset wins over higher-seeded opponents in the SEC Tournament showcase the team's resilience and ability to execute a game plan, providing hope that the Crimson Tide can continue their tournament run and potentially earn an NCAA Tournament bid.