Alabama Vs Tennessee: Labaron Philon Jr. Sparks 71-69 Comeback in Knoxville
In a game that flipped in the final minutes, alabama vs tennessee ended with No. 17 Alabama rallying for a 71-69 victory over No. 22 Tennessee on Feb. 28, 2026, at Thompson-Boling Arena. The win capped an eight-game streak for Alabama and hinged on a late takeover by Labaron Philon Jr. and a leg injury to Tennessee freshman Nate Ament.
Alabama Vs Tennessee: Game-Deciding Sequence
With less than a minute remaining, an Aiden Sherrell screen freed Labaron Philon Jr. for a one-on-one confrontation with Volunteers big man J. P. Estrella. Philon paused, feigned a drive, then penetrated, spun, faded and elevated to shoot over the 6-foot-11 Estrella. The jumper swished and broke a late tie; a subsequent Ja’Kobi Gillespie layup that would have forced overtime did not fall, sealing a 71-69 comeback victory for the Crimson Tide.
Labaron Philon Jr. 's late run
Philon scored 23 points and outscored Tennessee 13-8 in the final six minutes, turning a game Tennessee had led by as many as 13 into a loss. The sophomore guard’s finishing sequence in the waning moments was the decisive stretch for Alabama, which has now mounted five comebacks of at least 10 points this season.
Nate Ament's right leg injury and game exit
To make matters worse for the Volunteers, second-leading scorer Nate Ament suffered a right leg injury after being rolled up on while pursuing a loose ball with under eight minutes left in the first half. He walked off under his own power and even returned temporarily in the second half, but after making a turnaround jumper he exited again and did not return. The freshman forward entered the weekend averaging 17. 9 points and 6. 5 rebounds per game and had earlier turned his right ankle in the first half of a road loss at Missouri on Tuesday. He is listed as a projected top-10 pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Tennessee shooting struggles
Gillespie led Tennessee with 26 points, yet the Volunteers managed only four 3-pointers and shot 22. 2% from long range. The limited outside scoring clashed with Gillespie’s production; his potential game-tying layup in the closing seconds missed. Tennessee’s inability to convert from deep and the loss of Ament combined to blunt a second-half advantage that had swelled to 13 points.
Latrell Wrightsell Jr., team records and standings
Backcourt partner Latrell Wrightsell Jr. posted a season-high 25 points, going 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. Alabama finished the night 22-7 overall and 12-4 in SEC play, while Tennessee dropped to 20-9 and 10-6 in the conference. Alabama’s victory extended its winning streak to eight games; Tennessee’s defeat represented its fifth blown lead of 10 or more points during the 2025-26 campaign.
What makes this notable is how a single tight sequence — a Sherrell screen, Philon’s one-on-one against a 6-foot-11 defender and a missed layup at the other end — determined the outcome after a lengthy Tennessee lead. The timing matters because Philon’s 13 points in the final six minutes erased a double-digit deficit and preserved Alabama’s momentum as the season moves toward postseason positioning.
Saturday night in Knoxville, Thompson-Boling Arena fell silent as Alabama celebrated. The final margin, 71-69, reflected a late swing in control produced by Philon’s timely scoring and compounded by Ament’s exit and Tennessee’s cold long-range shooting.
