The number one seed Alabama clawed their way back from a fifteen point deficit to defeat Tennessee in the SEC Semifinals, 73 to 68.
Alabama will play the winner of LSU/Arkansas in the championship Sunday.
Tennessee led by as many as fifteen points midway through the second half, but eleven turnovers down the stretch were costly for the Vols. Tennessee finished with 19 turnovers on the game.
Alabama took its first lead since leading 2-1 at the start of the game, with 5:00 minutes left to play in the second half.
"We got lackadaisical with the ball in the second half." Freshman guard Keon Johnson said.
Herbert Jones led the Crimson Tide with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
"I thought the momentum swung when we started turning down good shots that led to turnovers." Head coach Rick Barnes said.
A huge three from Yves Pons put Tennessee behind by just one point with :41 seconds left to play. Devontae Gaines went to the free throw line to shoot two, but missed both.
"We all felt bad for him." Rick Barnes said about Gaines. "I am proud of him though, he came in and did what he was supposed to do (defensively.)"
Tennessee was forced to foul and the Crimson Tide capitalized on free throws in the last twenty seconds of the game to seal the deal.
Freshman guard Keon Johnson led the Vols in scoring with 20 points and nine rebounds. He had 16 points in the first half.
Freshman guard Jaden Springer added 18 points and Santiago Vescovi scored eleven points.
Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer combined for 38 of Tennessee's 68 points.
Senior forward John Fulkerson did not play against Alabama after suffering an injury to the eye/face against Florida Friday.
"Sometimes in the heat of battle things happen." Rick Barnes said regarding the incident to Fulkerson. "John Fulkerson accepted it. You hate to see it, but sometimes emotions can bring the worst out of us at time. It's over with and done with and we will get on down the road."
At halftime, Tennessee led Alabama by nine and were shooting 47% from the field and 38% from three. The Vols were outscoring Alabama in the paint, 22 to 16 in the first half.
The Vols shot 34% from the field in the second half and had 10 points in the paint in the second half.
"We are disappointed." Rick Barnes said. "The competitiveness we are playing with in the last two weeks has really gone to a level that we are excited about."
Next Up: Tennessee will find out what seed they are in the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday, tomorrow March 14th.
