National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Alabama 68, Tennessee 65
When: 1:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 12, 2013
Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Officials: # James Barker, # Tony Green, # C.J Washington
Attendance: 12093

Alabama 68, Tennessee 65: Trevor Lacey and Trevor Releford scored 15 points apiece as the host Crimson Tide held on for their first SEC victory.

Lacey and Releford were a combined 10-for-22 from the field and 8-for-9 from the foul line as both players keyed the win down the stretch. Lacey had consecutive baskets in a span of 37 seconds that put Alabama (9-6, 1-1) up 64-60 with 1:11 to play. Releford provided the final margin by hitting a pair of foul shots with six seconds left.

Jordan McRae scored a game-high 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting for Tennessee (8-6, 0-2), which committed 16 turnovers and shot just 50 percent (8-for-16) at the foul line.

Neither team led by more than five in the first 16-plus minutes of the second half. The Crimson Tide held a 42-37 advantage on Releford's 3-point play with 13:19 left but lost the lead near the five-minute mark as Josh Richardson and Trae Golden converted baskets on consecutive possessions for a 55-52 edge with 4:52 to play.

The Crimson Tide responded with 10 straight points, a run that was fueled by three steals and resulted in a 62-55 advantage on Releford's layup with 2:55 remaining. A 5-0 mini-run by the Volunteers made it a two-point game when McRae converted a 3-point play with 61 ticks left and had a layup with nine seconds left, making it a one-point game. After Releford's foul shots, Golden missed an off-balanced 3-pointer with three seconds left.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Golden did not start for the first time since Feb. 4 against Georgia, ending a streak of 24 straight appearances in the starting lineup. He did not score his first basket until less than five minutes remained in the second half and finished with eight points on 3-of-9 shooting. ... Levi Randolph added 12 points and Andrew Steele chipped in 11 for Alabama. ... The Crimson Tide has won eight of their last 11 home games over the Volunteers and won this one despite getting outrebounded 38-22.
Top Game Performances
 
Tennessee   Alabama
Jordan McRae 21 Scoring Trevor Lacey 15
Jordan McRae 2 Assists Rodney Cooper 3
Kenny Hall 8 Rebounds Levi Randolph 6
Jordan McRae 4 Free Throws Made Trevor Releford 5
Trae Golden 1 Steals Andrew Steele 4
Jarnell Stokes 2 Blocks Moussa Gueye 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Tennessee 65 47.3 5-15 8-16 7 38 3 2 16
Alabama 68 42.6 6-14 16-19 12 22 5 10 7