The Crimson Tide put on a show on Saturday for the home crowd at Coleman Coliseum. Alabama improved to 17-9 (6-6 in SEC) after a big 62-50 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers (14-13, 6-6 in SEC).
Alabama freshman Trevor Lacey led the Tide with 18 points and four steals. For the first time in a while, Lacey showed his full game. The highly talented recruit from Huntsville, Alabama has played a big role all year, but hasn’t had a breakout game. Well, tonight was his night. Trevor Lacey was 4-10 from the field including one three-pointer. Lacey used his explosive drive often to get to the basket. His aggressive effort on offense led to 12 free throw attempts; he would convert on nine. Alabama and Trevor Lacey had Tennessee’s number on defense all game long. At times, Tennessee’s offense looked dead, which led to Alabama closing down the passing lanes and forcing turnovers.
Nick Jacobs didn’t see playing time tonight after getting banged up against Florida on Tuesday night. Moussa Gueye got the start in his place, along with four other guards. In the absence of JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell, Anthony Grant has shown that he isn’t afraid to go with a smaller set. Moussa Gueye logged 16 minutes and scored two points from the free throw stripe.
The Tide controlled the rebounding game from the start. Carl Engstrom and Levi Randolph both finished with seven rebounds. Engstrom led the team with four offensive rebounds. Alabama didn’t need their top three forwards on Saturday to take down the Volunteers.
Alabama had a less than stellar shooting performance, shooting just 37 percent from the field and 27.8 percent from three point range. But the key was defense, the Crimson Tide held Tennessee to 34 percent from the field and 20 percent from three.
Although Trevor Releford didn’t get the start, he played a major role for the Tide. Releford finished with 13 points and two steals, second only to Trevor Lacey. Carl Engstrom also came up big for the Tide, setting a career high with seven points in 23 minutes on the floor.
Saturday’s win gives Alabama a much-needed boost of confidence after the recent distractions off the court. The loss ends Tennessee’s four-game winning streak, which included a win over the Florida Gators last Saturday.
Jeronne Maymon was one of the only bright spots for the Volunteers. Maymon finished with 20 points on 6-8 shooting. Jeronne Maymon came up big for Tennessee on the offensive boards with four of his six rebounds coming on the offensive glass.
With today’s win, what about the NCAA tournament? Things are definitely looking up for the Tide, but the future is still very cloudy. Alabama has to finish off their SEC schedule with minimal damage to their record. This year, Alabama has a good strength-of-schedule and a decent RPI. So, the tournament isn’t out of the question, yet. But, if Alabama drops another game or two in SEC regular season play, they will need a deep run in the SEC tournament to have a shot.
Alabama will travel to Fayetteville to face the Arkansas Razorbacks on Thursday night. The Tide got a win in Tuscaloosa against the Hogs, but will they be able to continue their winning ways away from home? We will find out soon!