Alabama Vs Tennessee — Philon’s late takeover lifts No. 17 Alabama to 71-69 comeback
In the alabama vs tennessee matchup, Labaron Philon Jr. took over down the stretch and No. 17 Alabama completed a 71-69 comeback at Thompson-Boling Arena, a win that extended the Crimson Tide’s winning streak to eight.
Alabama Vs Tennessee — Philon seals comeback
Labaron Philon Jr. shook his head, seemingly in disbelief, after hitting the go-ahead jumper with less than a minute to go Saturday night in Knoxville. An Aiden Sherrell screen freed Philon for a 1-on-1 against Volunteers big man J. P. Estrella, and the sophomore guard teased a drive, penetrated, spun, faded and shot over the 6-foot-11 Estrella. The jumper swished, and Philon outscored Tennessee 13-8 in the final six minutes to break a tie and hand Alabama a 71-69 victory.
How the final sequence unfolded
The play began with Sherrell’s screen that put Philon on Estrella in isolation. After Philon’s go-ahead shot, Ja’Kobi Gillespie had a layup that would have forced overtime but it didn’t fall. The crowd at Thompson-Boling Arena went quiet as the Crimson Tide celebrated the comeback.
Nate Ament exits with right leg injury
Tennessee’s night was complicated by an injury to second-leading scorer Nate Ament. The standout freshman forward was rolled up on while going for a loose ball with under eight minutes left in the first half and suffered a right leg injury. He walked off on his own power and even returned temporarily in the second half, but shortly after he made a turnaround jumper he exited again and did not return. Ament, a projected top-10 pick in this year's NBA Draft, had notably turned his right ankle in the first half of a road loss to Missouri on Tuesday. He came into the weekend averaging 17. 9 points and 6. 5 rebounds per game.
Box score details and season implications
Philon finished with 23 points, two shy of the season-high 25 that backcourt partner Latrell Wrightsell Jr. piled up. Wrightsell went 6 of 9 from beyond the arc. Ja’Kobi Gillespie led Tennessee with 26 points, but his potential game-tying layup at the end was off the mark. Tennessee made just four 3-pointers and shot 22. 2% on long-range attempts. The win pushed Alabama to 22-7, 12-4 in the SEC and left Tennessee at 20-9, 10-6. Saturday’s game was described as a tale of two stories: Alabama now has five comebacks of at least 10 points this season, while Tennessee has five blown leads of 10 or more during the 2025-26 campaign.
Reaction and a short celebration
After the finish, Alabama’s program posted the line "PHILON. PHILON. PHILON. " on March 1, 2026, underscoring the sophomore’s late burst. Philon’s scoring surge in the final six minutes proved decisive against a Volunteers team that had led by as many as 13 points in the second half.
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