Surviving Bama's low Tide

No doubt, the Third Wednesday in February shared some similarities with the Third Saturday in October.

The Vols scored a 69-66 overtime men’s basketball victory over the 25th-ranked Crimson Tide before a crowd of 19,068 at Thompson-Boling Arena. As in many of the UT-Alabama football games, defense was the key to victory.

Tennessee (19-9 overall, 7-6 SEC) forced Alabama (19-8, 6-7) into a season-high 26 turnovers to run its record to 15-0 at home this season.

Chris Lofton scored a game-high 20 points as the Vols snapped the Tide’s seven-game win streak in the series.

"Ball pressure was a key; 26 turnovers, 18 steals, that’s a lot,’’ UT coach Bruce Pearl said. "This was required. Our backs are against the wall to make the tourney. The effort was outstanding.’’

The Vols’ shooting wasn’t. UT made 27 of 81 (33.3 percent) attempts from the floor and was 7-of-36 (19.4 percent) shooting beyond the 3-point arc. Both totals represented the Vols’ second-worst shooting percentages of the year.

"We played great defense, but Alabama was up into us, too,’’ said UT junior JaJuan Smith, who scored 16 points. "They had us catching the ball at half-court. They were man-to-man everywhere.’’

Lofton’s 20 points came on a night when the junior shooting star got just 6 of 22 shots to fall — 3 of 15 beyond the 3-point arc.

Still, it was Lofton coming up with clutch points, burying a 3-pointer with 2:41 left in regulation to cut the Tide’s lead to 58-56 after Alabama had taken its largest lead.

Moments later, freshman Ramar Smith fed off the momentum, stealing a pass at half-court and laying the ball in to tie the game at 58 with 2:14 left.

Both teams floundered on offense on repeated possessions until Lofton hit both ends of a 1-and-1 free-throw situation with 26.8 seconds left, giving UT a 60-58 edge.

Alabama’s Mikhail Torrance hit a runner off the glass with 7.4 seconds remaining to tie the game at 60, and then the Tide’s defense made the equivalent of a goal-line stand, forcing Lofton into a forced, off-balance shot at the buzzer that didn’t even hit the backboard.

The Tide jumped out to a 64-60 lead in overtime before Lofton stepped up with another 3-pointer with 2:57 left.

"Do you ever not try to get 5 (Lofton) the ball?’’ Pearl said. "It doesn’t matter how many he missed.’’

Lofton missed his next shot the next time down the floor, but freshman Duke Crews tipped the ball in to put UT up 65-64 with 1:54 left and brought the crowd to its feet.

The fans were still screaming when Alabama’s Justin Tubbs went to the free-throw line with 1:43 remaining and missed both shots.

Ramar Smith made the Tide pay, hanging in mid-air on a drive and kissing a soft bank shot off the glass for a 67-64 lead with 34 seconds showing on the clock.

Torrance missed a trey at the other end, but Jermareo Davidson rebounded, and after being fouled on his shot attempt, made both free throws — and 9.6 seconds remained with Alabama trailing 67-66.

UT needed a timeout to set up a successful inbounds play to Lofton. The Tide, in confusion, failed to foul Lofton and stop the clock.

"Prior to that, it was foul anybody but Lofton,’’ Alabama coach Mark Gottfried said. "Having heard ‘Don’t foul Lofton!’ for five straight minutes,’ they just kind of froze.’’

Lofton advanced the ball to an open Dane Bradshaw, who fired a pass to Crews for a dunk just before the buzzer. That provided the final margin in the defensive slugfest.

"Right now, y’all can call it whatever you want,’’ JaJuan Smith said. "But for us it’s a win, and we’re going to take it however we get it.’’

UT plays at 1 p.m. Saturday at Arkansas.

Worth Noting: UT's 15 home wins ties the school's single-season mark, set in 1999-2000 when the Vols were 15-1. ... The Vols’ 18 steals were a season-high. ... Ryan Childress played more minutes (23) than he had in any other SEC game and tied his SEC high with seven rebounds. ... Lofton's 6-of-22 shooting (.272) was his worst of the season.