University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
9-5, 1-1SEC
Alabama
12-3, 2-0SEC
Vols Drop 56-38 Decision To Alabama
January 10, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 10, 2015
Final Stats |
Quotes |
Notes |
Photo Gallery 
|
Photo Gallery
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee saw its five-game winning streak come to an end on Saturday as the Vols dropped a 56-38 game to Alabama before 16,695 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Crimson Tide won their sixth game in a row overall and won a true road game for the first time in nearly two seasons, ending a 16-game road losing skid. Alabama improved to 12-3 overall and 2-0 in the SEC while the Vols fell to 9-5 and 1-1 in the league. Alabama last won a road game on Feb. 12, 2013, winning at Georgia, 52-45. It was Alabama's first win in Knoxville since Feb. 5, 2011, a 65-60 overtime triumph.
Tennessee had its lowest offensive output since losing 46-38 at Virginia on Dec. 5, 2012.
Tennessee's Josh Richardson led the Vols in scoring for the 10th time in 14 games with 17 points.
Alabama's scoring chart was headed by Rodney Cooper's 17 points, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range. Ricky Tarrant added 14 and Jimmie Taylor had 13.
The Crimson Tide finished the game on a 21-2 run over the final 12:34.
With the game tied at 36, Cooper connected on a pair of buckets to a give Alabama a 41-36 lead with eight minutes left in the game. The Tide's run expanded to 18-0 and gave them a 51-36 lead with less than a minute to go in the game and proved to be a knockout punch of the Vols.
Tennessee was held scoreless for a span of 13:02 and without a field goal for 14:07, missing 15 shots in a row. Following a jumper by Derek Reese with 14:44 left in the second half, Tennessee did not make a field goal until 37 seconds were left in the game when Armani Moore put home a rebound.
Early in the second half, Richardson single-handedly put the Vols in front after they trailed for nearly the entire game to that point. The senior scored the Vols' first eight points of the half as Tennessee took a 32-30 lead with 16:50 left in the game.
Alabama held a 29-24 lead at halftime as the teams traded dunks in the final 15 seconds of the half. Richardson led all scorers with nine points for Tennessee while both Tarrant and Taylor had eight for Alabama.
The Crimson Tide took advantage of eight Vol turnovers for 12 of their 29 first-point points.
The Vols return to action on Tuesday as #23 Arkansas comes to Thompson-Boling Arena for a 7 p.m., tip-off. That game airs on ESPNU and can be heard on the Vol Network.
