3 takeaways from Alabama basketball loss to Tennessee on buzzer beater

Alabama men’s basketball under coach Nate Oats had never scored more than 74 points against Tennessee. And that was in a loss.

Even in a win, the max was 73.

Alabama surpassed that number this time around, but it didn’t result in a victory.

Tennessee’s Jahmai Mashack hit a buzzer-beating shot from beyond the arc to give No. 5 Tennessee a 79-76 victory over No. 6 Alabama on Saturday in Knoxville.

Alabama guard Mark Sears led all scorers with 24 points.

Here are three takeaways from the game between No. 6 Alabama (22-6, 12-4 SEC) and No. 5 Tennessee (23-5, 11-5).

Missed opportunities prevent early Alabama takeover

The Crimson Tide went into halftime with a lead, 42-38. But it could have and should have been more.

Tennessee had to go without star guard Zakai Zeigler for much of the first half. He picked up two fouls quickly, limiting him to 10 minutes. That could have been a prime moment for the Crimson Tide to go on a big run and take over the game.

The problem was, Alabama wasn’t making its free throws. Not at a high clip. It went 8-for-15 before the break. The officials were calling Tennessee a good bit with 12 total fouls in the first half, but the Crimson Tide couldn’t make the Vols pay at the line.

Alabama hit free-throws at the same rate in the first half: 8-for-15. Make those at a higher rate, and the lead also would have been increased.

All of that said, the Crimson Tide still put together a solid performance before the break.

Labaron Philon brings grit to gritty matchup, but makes crucial mistake late

The freshman from Mobile came to play. That became clear from the start.

Not even five minutes into the game, Philon had a series of plays that went like this: Steal, layup, foul drawn and made free throw. All in a matter of seconds.

By the time the first half ended, Philon had tallied eight points, three assists, a block and three steals. His plus-10 led the Crimson at halftime.

Then with about 90 seconds left, Philon grabbed a steal from Zeigler, then he went down the court to make a layup and give Alabama a 75-72 lead.

But this game will be remembered for what he didn’t do. Alabama had the ball with one final chance to score with the game tied 76-76 with only a couple seconds left in regulation. Philon was inbounding the ball. But he didn’t get it into the game in time, committing a five-second violation.

Tennessee got the ball for one final possession with enough time to go down the court, which was enough to win.

Tennessee defense beats out Alabama defense late

When it mattered most, the Crimson Tide defense couldn’t get it done. Tennessee’s defense, however, was clutch.

Over the final 30 seconds of the game, the Vols went on a 7-0 run. That of course included Mashack’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer. But it also included a layup from Chaz Lanier with 30 seconds left.

Meanwhile, Tennessee’s defense was suffocating late. It prevented Alabama from making a basket in the final minute of the game, and forcing the five-second violation was the signature moment for the Tennessee defense.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.