The objective was clear for the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers (18-7, 10-7) and the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (22-6, 16-2) as they went into Saturday’s matchup: If you win, you’re punching your ticket to the championship game in the SEC Tournament.
A superb first-half performance and a double-digit second-half lead weren’t enough to take down Alabama, however, as Tennessee committed 19 turnovers and missed seven straight shots toward the end of the game. Davonte Gaines had a chance to put the Vols out in front with seconds left, but he missed both free throws, which essentially guaranteed the win for the Tide.