Tennessee stifles Alabama, improves to 4-1 in SEC play
The No. 6 Vols rolled to another conference win, topping the Alabama Crimson Tide 91 to 71 in a showdown on Rocky Top.
The Vols are now 10-0 at home and trolled the Tide with “Dixieland Delight” after the win. The Vols’ defense shut Alabama’s offense down, with the team having one of their worst offensive games all season and scoring just 71 points.
Knecht the dots
Dalton Knecht led the Vols with another huge game, scoring 25 points. But, what was welcoming, was the Vols received a team effort reaching 91 points. Aidoo was responsible for 19 points, Vescovi got into shape and scored 10, and Gainey had a great showing scoring 15 from the bench.
Tennessee, now 14-4 and 4-1 in conference play, is settling in. This Rick Barnes squad with the notorious defense also has the offensive spark they’ve been missing for seasons now.
The Vols came out red hot and didn’t let Spears get going early. At the half, the Vols’ defense stifled the Tide’s high-octane offense by allowing only 37 points. Alabama came into this game as one of the best 3-point shooting squads in the league, but the Vols’ stingy defense held their offense to only 19% from the 3 line.
Zakai Ziegler showed why he is one of the best defensive point guards in all the land. Spears was effective, scoring 22, but Zeigler defended well and took Alabama’s X factor out of the equation.
Overall, Tennessee played its best and most complete game all season. They didn’t suffer from their typical sluggish starts and shots were falling. Turnovers, a problem, were reduced tremendously as the Vols only committed 7. And, on defense, the team forced 22 with 20 resulting in scores. Knecht didn’t have the huge night we expected, but the team overall stepped up and hit their shots. This was a complete game; if this becomes the norm, we could be looking at a Final Four team.
The negative
When you win by 20 against an undefeated SEC opponent who possesses the bestscoring offense, there’s not much to be negative about. Can this squad keep playing at this level? It can be a historic run for Tennessee, but we still need more consistency from veterans Vescovi and Triple J.
Conclusion
This was the Vols’ best game all season. Rick Barnes made adjustments to the Vols’ slow starts, and turnovers. If the team can score at will as they did and play this level of defense, this team is a final four squad.
