Live updates: Alabama Crimson Tide Basketball at Tennessee Volunteers
• Second half is under way. Tennessee's Yves Pons picks up third foul in opening seconds.
• Jones has hit a couple of shots including a 3 as Alabama goes ahead 36-32. Tennessee tried to take everything beyond the arc away in the first half, and the Tide only had nine attempts.
• Petty 3, 39-32. Tide getting hot.
• Primo 3, 42-32.
• Primo 3, 45-34. Remember, Alabama was 2-for-9 beyond the arc during the first half. Tide on 14-5 stretch.
• Petty 3. Alabama up 48-36 heading into media time out. Petty with 13 points, Primo with 11.
• Tennessee comes out of the break and gets a 3 and a block, looking to make something happen, but Alabama gets a 5-on-2 finished by an alley-oop to Jones as the Tide isn't ready to give back the momentum. 52-41.
• Another block and the Vols have woken up. But at 52-45, Ellis hits a 3.
• Another block by Tennessee, and on the other end Reese called for a foul. UT going to the line for three shots down 55-45. 10:22 to go.
• Tennessee forward Yves Pons gets his fourth block as the Vols are desperately trying to close the gap. Petty hits another 3 and Bruner hits a FT - but Pons makes fifth block. Alabama up 63-54 with 8 minutes to go.
• Alabama starting to run the clock, but too many empty trips. 63-56 with 3:56 to go. Petty has 18 points, Jones and Primo both with 11.
• Quinerly ends a 4-minute scoring drought for Alabama. Using his quickness he had a nice drive. Under 3 minutes to go.
• Quinerly has a bad foul, UT heads to the line for three, Bailey makes them all. 65-59.
• Jones block turns into a Shackleford 3 from the corner. Huge.
• Last 1:05. Alabama holding on 69-61. Tennessee has started fouling.
• Final score: Alabama 71, Tennessee 63.
Impressive win for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama at No. 7 Tennessee, First Half
The game is under way. It's on ESPNNews for the start as the previous game wasn't over yet on ESPN2.
• Herb Jones, Jordan Bruner, Jaden Shackleford, Joshua Primo and John Petty Jr. start for the Crimson Tide.
• Shackleford opens the scoring on a layup following a steal by Petty. Tennessee scores the next five points when Petty ties the game with a 3.
• Things are pretty back and forth through the first 6-7 minutes. Shackleford has 5 points. UA shooting 40 percent early on, UT 33 percent. Jones has a pair of rebounds. Alabama has 10-9 lead.
• 11:52, media time out. Tennessee has a slim 12-10 lead. Both teams are 4-11 from the floor, 36 percent. Vescovi leads all scorers with six points, on two 3s. Something to keep an eye on is Alabama already has five fouls. Three came on one possession. Jaden Quinerly is the only Tide player with more than one. He has two. The broadcast is switching back to ESPN2.
• Sign of the times ...
• Tennessee guard Jaden Springer hobbling, might have hurt an ankle. We're tied at 14-14.
• Alabama is 1-for-6 from three-point range, but Tennessee is just 2-for-7. Just under 8 minutes left in first half, UT leads 16-14.
• Tennessee hits three straight shots, but it unable to get any separation due to a pair of Quinerly drives. UT has 24-23 edge with 4:27 until halftime.
• Surprising stat, Alabama has shot one free throw so far (and made it). Under two minutes to go in first half. Petty drive gives Tide 27-26 lead.
• Bailey drains a tough shot with a hand in his face to give Tennessee a 29-27 lead with 36.3 seconds to go in first half. UT coach Rick Barnes got called for a technical, Quinerly makes both FTs and we're tied back up.
• Last shot, Quinerly can't hit. Anosike called for a foul with 4.1 to go. Jones makes both. Alabama up 31-29 at halftime.
Alabama at No. 7 Tennessee Preview
When: 5 p.m. CT, Saturday
Where: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tenn.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network
Online: Watch ESPN or ESPN+
Last time out, Alabama: The Crimson Tide opened its Southeastern Conference schedule with a decisive 82-64 win over visiting Ole Miss on Tuesday night. Alabama (6-3, 1-0 SEC) never trailed en route way to its 800th SEC win, making Alabama and Kentucky the only two SEC programs with 800 victories in conference play. Guard Jahvon Quinerly led all scorers with a career-best 24 points, while also grabbing five rebounds. John Petty Jr. (13) and Alex Reese (10) came off the bench and finished in double figures points, while Jaden Shackelford led the Tide in rebounds with seven.
Last time out, Tennessee: Fans can scout the Vols firsthand as they visit No. 12 Missouri at 8 p.m. Wednesday (SEC Network).
Scouting the Volunteers: In mid-November, a panel of league media picked Tennessee to win the SEC regular-season title. Forward John Fulkerson was a preseason first-team All-SEC selection and forward Yves Pons second-team. He was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year last season. Both seniors received preseason votes for SEC Player of the Year. Redshirt junior guard Victor Bailey Jr. leads the team in scoring at 13.2 points per game, with Fulkerson second at 11.8 points. Former point guard Josiah-Jordan James is averaging 10.0 points and a team-high 6.5 rebounds.
Last meeting: The Crimson Tide faced the Volunteers only once last season, with Tennessee taking a narrow 69-68 victory over Alabama at Coleman Coliseum on Feb. 4. Tennessee had a huge edge in free-throws attempted. 32-8. The Crimson Tide gave up 19 offensive rebounds on its way to being out-rebounded 42-33 and was forced into 20 turnovers in the loss.
The series: Tennessee and Alabama will meet for the 150th time, with the Crimson Tide leading the all-time series, 79-70. The 149 all-time games played between the teams ranks as the sixth-most times UA has played any one opponent, while the 79 victories also rank sixth-most in program lore.
