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HomeSportsTennessee Vols Basketball roars from behind to defeat Alabama, 69-68

Tennessee Vols Basketball roars from behind to defeat Alabama, 69-68

Tennessee Volunteers - UT VolsTuscaloosa, AL – 20-point outputs from senior Jordan Bowden and junior John Fulkerson, along with junior Yves Pons’ second career double-double, propelled the Tennessee basketball team past Alabama, 69-68, on Tuesday in Tuscaloosa.

The win ended Tennessee’s (13-9, 5-4 SEC) three-game losing skid and was the first time the Vols overcame a 15-point deficit to win a game since knocking off Alabama in March of 2017.

The Vols were led by Fulkerson’s career-high 22 points, with 14 coming in the first half. Fulkerson also added a season-high-tying three blocks.

Tennessee Men's Basketball junior John Fulkerson has 22 points and 3 rebounds in Vols come back win at Alabama, Tuesday night. (UT Athletics)
Tennessee Men’s Basketball junior John Fulkerson has 22 points and 3 rebounds in Vols come back win at Alabama, Tuesday night. (UT Athletics)

Bowden’s 20 points were the third time he’s reached 20 this season, with 16 coming in the second half. Bowden was also huge on the defensive end, nabbing a career-high six steals.

Pons added 12 points and pulled in a career-high 14 rebounds. Eight of his 14 rebounds came on the offensive glass, helping to keep alive multiple key possessions in the second half.

The contest was the first time the Vols had multiple 20-point scorers since last season’s Sweet Sixteen showdown against Purdue.

To get things going, the Crimson Tide knocked down six of their first 12 attempts from the field to take a 16-10 advantage at the 11:25 mark of the first half.

As the half progressed, Alabama stretched its lead to as many as 15 points. However, a late run–spearheaded by six consecutive points from Fulkerson–meant the Crimson Tide took a 40-32 lead into the locker room.

Out of the break, both squads went bucket-for-bucket, allowing Alabama to hold a 50-43 lead as the second frame neared its midpoint.

Over the next three minutes, the Vols used an 11-3 run to take their first lead since the 18:44 mark of the first half, holding a slim 54-53 advantage with 8:22 remaining.

The next four minutes saw the teams trade the lead four times, with the largest lead during that stretch being three points in favor of the Crimson Tide.

In the final minutes, two timely buckets, steady free-throw shooting and a clutch rejection from Pons as time was expiring put a lid on the road triumph.

Defense Comes Up Big
Coming into tonight’s game, Alabama was the SEC’s highest-scoring offense. The Vols held the Crimson Tide under 70 points for just the second time during league play this year.

Le Streak Extends to 22
Yves Pons finished the night with three blocks, extending his streak of consecutive games with at least one block to 22 games.

 

Next Up For Tennessee Men’s Basketball

The Tennessee Vols basketball team return to action for a Saturday afternoon matchup with border rival Kentucky Saturday. Tipoff from Thompson-Boling Arena is set for 12:00pm CT on CBS.

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