Alabama Upsets Tennessee in Tight Matchup

Crimson Tide prevail despite being outplayed in key statistical categories

Mar. 3, 2026 at 2:55am

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In a surprising turn of events, the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 71-69 in a closely contested SEC basketball matchup. Despite being outrebounded, committing more turnovers, and attempting 22 fewer shots than Tennessee, Alabama managed to pull off the victory thanks to strong 3-point shooting and clutch plays down the stretch.

Why it matters

This win is a significant upset for Alabama, as Tennessee had been favored and had dominated the series in recent years. The game highlights Alabama's resilience and ability to win close games, even when the stats suggest they should have lost. It also raises questions about Tennessee's consistency and ability to close out games they appear to be controlling.

The details

Alabama trailed by as much as 13 points but fought back to take the lead with just 24 seconds remaining. Key contributions came from Latrell Wrightsell Jr., who hit 6 of 9 3-pointers to keep Alabama in the game, and Labaron Philon, who scored 13 points in the final 6 minutes to seal the victory. Tennessee dominated the rebounding battle 47-30 and had more second-chance points, but Alabama's superior 3-point shooting (10-4) and fewer fouls (13-8) proved to be the difference.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 1, 2026.
  • Alabama's last win over Tennessee was in 2021.

The players

Nate Oats

The head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team.

Rick Barnes

The head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers basketball team.

Latrell Wrightsell Jr.

An Alabama player who hit 6 of 9 3-pointers to keep his team in the game.

Aiden Sherrell

An Alabama player who was praised by coach Nate Oats as the "MVP of the game" for his defensive efforts and contributions inside.

Labaron Philon

An Alabama player who scored 13 points in the final 6 minutes to give his team the lead and the win.

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What they’re saying

“Man after the way the game went last year, you guys deserved the win.”

— Rick Barnes, Tennessee Head Coach

“I'm not sure we necessarily deserved it, but we did fight hard.”

— Nate Oats, Alabama Head Coach

“The MVP of the game is Aiden Sherrell. We can't win the game without him inside.”

— Nate Oats, Alabama Head Coach

“When you have a player like him, sometimes you're better off not trying to get too tricky as a coach. Try to get the matchup. We knew they were going to switch. They switched a lot. Try to get the matchup and the switch we want and get him some space and let him do what he does. He goes and gets buckets.”

— Nate Oats, Alabama Head Coach

What’s next

The win keeps Alabama in contention for a high seed in the SEC tournament, while Tennessee will look to bounce back and solidify its NCAA Tournament resume.

The takeaway

This game showcases Alabama's resilience and ability to win close games, even when the statistics suggest they should have lost. It also raises questions about Tennessee's consistency and ability to close out games they appear to be controlling.