John Fulkerson had a career-high 22 points, including the go-ahead score on an alley-oop with just over three minutes left, as Tennessee rallied from down 15 to win 69-68 over Alabama on Tuesday night in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The victory snapped a three-game skid for the Volunteers (13-9, 5-4 SEC) and improved their road record in conference play to 3-2 heading into a big homestand against Kentucky and Arkansas.
Jordan Bowden was just 5 of 17 from the field but finished with 20 points for Tennessee thanks to a 10-of-11 effort at the foul line. The Vols made 23 of 32 free throws -- including 15 of 21 in the second half -- compared to Alabama's 5-of-8 performance.
All three of Alabama's big men fouled out in the final 4:31, enabling Tennessee to score at will inside down the stretch.
Alabama (12-10, 4-5) led by as many as 15 in the first half, but a 12-1 Tennessee run bridging halftime got the Volunteers within 40-36 with 19:09 left. The Vols then went nearly 4 1/2 minutes without scoring, allowing Alabama to rebuild a double-digit advantage before Tennessee slowly chipped away.
A technical foul on Alabama's John Petty Jr. with 11:29 remaining sparked a 7-0 Tennessee run to tie it at 50 on two Fulkerson free throws.
Bowden's two foul shots with 8:22 remaining gave Tennessee a 54-53 lead, its first since 3-2, and the teams traded the lead for a few minutes before Fulkerson's winning flush. The junior finished 8 of 9 from the field while the rest of Tennessee was 14 of 53.
The Crimson Tide trailed 67-65 and had a shot to tie the game, but Jaylen Forbes' layup attempt with five seconds left was blocked by Yves Pons, who made two free throws on the other end to ice the game. Pons had 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Kira Lewis Jr. had 19 points, while Petty had eight points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for Alabama, which has lost three in a row, including two straight at home.
--Field Level Media
Tennessee | Alabama | |
John Fulkerson 22 | Scoring | Kira Lewis Jr. 19 |
Santiago Vescovi 5 | Assists | John Petty Jr. 7 |
Yves Pons 14 | Rebounds | John Petty Jr. 11 |
Jordan Bowden 10 | Free Throws Made | James Bolden 2 |
Jordan Bowden 6 | Steals | Kira Lewis Jr. 3 |
John Fulkerson 3 | Blocks | Kira Lewis Jr. 2 |