Tennessee sweeps Alabama: Recap and takeaways
The Tennessee Volunteers went into Tuscaloosa on Saturday and earned a hard-fought win. It wasn’t pretty at times, as the Crimson Tide ended the half on a 12-0 run. The Vols were also out-rebounded on the night. However, thanks to turnovers and some tenacious defense, the Vols were still able to come away with an 81-74 win.
This means that the Vols swept the regular season series with the Tide. The win also means that the Vols will be outright SEC Champions if they finish the regular season 2-0.
Now, let’s dive into the takeaways from this massive win.
Tennessee’s defense was ferocious
The Vols held the Tide to just 74 points, which is an impressive feat. The Tide came into Saturday with the No. 1 scoring offense in college basketball. Against the Vols, the Tide shot just 24.3% from deep and 38.3% from the field.
Mark Sears and Aaron Estrada combined for 38 points, but the rest of the Alabama starters combined for just 11. Santiago Vescovi was awesome on defense, earning 3 steals and being a pest all night. Jahmai Mashack filled up the stat sheet, finishing with one block, one steal, and four defensive rebounds.
An off night for Dalton Knecht
Dalton Knecht had an off night by his standards, but it didn’t matter. The star forward finished with just 13 points on 5-14 shooting. For those who say that the Vols are a “one-man team,” Saturday’s game is the perfect way to prove them wrong. Even without Knecht taking over, the rest of the team was able to chip in enough to get the win.
Double-double for JJJ
Josiah Jordan-James always comes through when you need him the most. The fifth-year player contributed 11 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists. James was a menace on defense and on the boards and showed just how valuable he is.
Offensively, this season has not been what many of us expected for JJJ. However, James has shown that he can step up when he’s needed. James, even when a non-factor on offense, is a critical piece of this team.