Live with the Tide: Alabama Basketball Hosts Vanderbilt in Home Finale

The Crimson Tide (16-13, 8-8 SEC) will conclude its home schedule with a game against he Vanderbilt Commodores (9-20, 1-15 SEC) with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m CT

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama men's basketball team will play its final home game of the season at Coleman Coliseum against Vanderbilt on Tuesday night. 

Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats and his squad are winners of three of their last four and looking to continue its case for a NCAA tournament bid. 

Alabama (16-13, 8-8 SEC) will likely be without junior wing John Petty Jr. again as he is recovering from a hyperextension and slight ligament strain in his elbow. 

The Commodores (9-20, 1-15 SEC) is coming off of a 86-60 loss on the road against Ole Miss on Saturday. 

Currently, Alabama is a 12-point favorite over the Commodores and the over/under is set for 154. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m, CT, and will be broadcasted on SEC Network. 

Pregame

Graduate senior James "Beetle" Bolden will be honored 15 minutes before tipoff with a pregame ceremony on the court. 

Petty did in fact dress out and warm up with the team. He is wearing a black sleeve on that right elbow. 

Here is Alabama G John Petty (elbow) going through pregame shooting drills. pic.twitter.com/OLNjqC6fXl

— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) March 4, 2020

Alabama starters: Kira Lewis Jr., Beetle Bolden, Jaden Shackelford, Herb Jones, and Alex Reese

Vanderbilt starters: Saben Lee, Dylan Disu, Scotty Pippen Jr., Maxwell Evans, and Braelee Albert

Bolden receives a standing ovation as he meets Oats at mid-court to for a photo with him, his girlfriend, and the rest of the team. 

Tonight's officials are Joe Lindsay, Tony Greene, and Chuck Jones. 

First Half

• Vanderbilt has won the tip and and Pippen misses the mid-range jumper. Lewis controls the rebound, but turns it over. 
• Lee scores a layup in the paint for the game's first points. 
• Lee breaks away and slams it home, but Reese answers with a three-pointer. Commodores up 4-3. 
• Jaylen Forbes is the Crimson Tide's first sub, replacing Shackelford. 
• Reese has taken two three-pointers that have not touched the rim. 
• Lee is at the charity stripe and he makes one of two. 
• Bolden hits from the wing beyond the arc to give Alabama its first lead at 6-5. 15:51 to go at the first media break. 
• Javian Davis checks in for Reese. 
• Forbes turns it over, leading to another basket by Lee. 
• Bolden is left wide-open in the corner, during his second three of the night. 
• Pippen makes two free throws and while he was at the line, the student section chanted "daddy is better" referring to the Chicago Bulls legend. 
• Bolden scores again from corner. He has nine points so far. 
• Evans responds with a three for the Commodores and Alabama leads 14-12. 
• Jones is at the line shooting two free throws one-handed. He scores the second. 
• Out of the timeout, Lewis makes a triple. He is now 12 points away from the 1,000 point mark. 
• Bolden scores again. That man is on fire, making 4-of-5 from deep to start. Alabama leads 21-15 with 10:38 left. 
• Pippen nets a three from the corner and the Commodores have cut it to 21-20. 
• Lewis answers with his trademark floater in the lane.  
• After that layup by Lewis, he now has 11 points. Alabama leads 27-25 with 7:36 remaining. 
• Lee gives Vanderbilt the lead, 30-27, after his three-pointer. 
• Guess who? Bolden makes another trey and it is tied once again. 
• Two free throws by Albert and an and-one by Lee make it 35-30 Commodores.
• Bolden stops the Vanderbilt run with two makes from the free-throw line.  
• Davis steps to the free-throw line with 2:09 left to shoot a one-and-one. He buries the first and misses the second one. 
• Lee pulls up from the top of the key and makes a three to extend Vanderbilt's lead to five, 38-33. 1:20 left. 
• Pippen drives and scores the layup as he is fouled. He misses the free throw, but the Commodores get the rebound. Jonkovic is called for a moving screen. 
• Lewis and Lee trade baskets to end the half. 
• At intermission, Alabama trails Vanderbilt 42-35. Bolden has a team-high 17 points and Lewis has 13. Lee has 20 for the Commodores. 

Second Half

• To say this is the biggest 20 minutes of the season so far is an understatement. 
• Alabama starts with the ball and Lewis scores a driving layup. 
• Disu and Shackelford trade three-pointers on the next two possessions. 
• Evans hits from deep and now Alabama trails by eight, 48-40. Oats calls a 30-second timeout. 
• Galin Smith is Alabama's first sub of this half and Lewis hits from the paint. He has 17 for the game and 1,000 for his career. 
• The Commodores can not seem to miss from deep. Disu makes again from the wing. 
• Lee banks one in from the left wing and Vanderbilt is up 10, 54-44. 
• Shackelford pulls up from the top of the key and scores the three and is fouled in the process. He completes the and-one. 
• Shackelford scores a hard layup and Disu travels. Alabama trails by six, 56-50. 
• After another basket from Shackelford and a layup from Lewis, Alabama only trails by two at the first media timeout. 56-54 with 15:08. 
• Pippen is at the line shooting two and the first rolls around the rim and falls in. He swishes the second attempt. 
• Jones is called for a push and that is his third foul of the evening. 
• Lee misses on the other end and Jones heads to the line for the Crimson Tide. 
• Both shots rim out, but Reese gets the board. 
• Lewis scores the layup to cut the deficit to two. 
• Jones forces Pippen to miss and Shackelford takes it all the way to score the layup and is fouled. He completes the and-one and Alabama has the lead, 59-58. 
• The Commodores are called for another moving screen. 
• Shackelford makes the tear drop floater and this Coleman crowd is on its feet now. 
• Albert ties the game at 61 with a three-pointer. 
• Evans is left open and he hits from the long jumper. Vanderbilt leads by two, 63-61. 
• Lewis will be at the free-throw line when play resumes. 10:52 left in the game. 
• Here is the basket that gave Lewis 1,000 career points: 

.@Mr_Lewis3 now has 1,000 points scored in his career with this bucket! #RollTide pic.twitter.com/niItHgMZuj

— Crimson Crossover (@CrimsonXover) March 4, 2020

• Lewis scores two and we are tied at 63. 
• Bolden scores again from deep and Alabama has the lead at 66-65. He has 20 points on his senior night. 
• Davis slams home the oop from Lewis, but Disu ties it at 68 with a three-pointer from the right wing. 
• We have reached the under 8-minute media timeout. Alabama will have the ball when action resumes. It is still tied at 68. 7:45 on the clock. 
• The Crimson Tide is in the bonus with Davis at the line. He misses the front end of the one-and-one. 
• Bolden just made his seventh three-pointer of the night. He just tied his season-high in points with 23. 
• Jones just picked up his fourth foul. 
• Lee gives Vanderbilt the lead with that layup. It is 72-71 with 4:41 to go. 
• Shackelford just picked up his fourth foul on a very questionable blocking call. 
• Lee pulls up again from three and scores. Vanderbilt leads 75-71 with 3:58 left. Lee has 28 points. Alabama is on a three minute scoring drought, while the Commodores are on a 7-0 run. 
• Lewis will be at the free-throw line when play resumes.
• Jones and Shackelford are both back on the court playing with four fouls each. 
• Lewis hits both shots from the charity stripe.  
• Disu is called for a travel. 
• Davis is called out of bounds and Lee strikes again from deep. Commodores lead 78-73 with 2:37 left. 
• Lee makes the layup and the deficit is seven for the Crimson Tide. 
• Lewis is back at the line and he scores two. 
• Bolden is fouled and he heads to the line. Double-bonus for Alabama. Pippen just picked up his fourth. Bolden scores one. 80-76 Vanderbilt with 1:30 to go.
• Lee just can not be stopped. As he falls to the ground, he buries his sixth three of the game. Alabama calls a timeout, trailing 83-76. 52 seconds remain on the clock. 
• Lewis hits from deep and its a four-point game. 
• Bolden fouls Pippen and he will shoot a one-and-one. The first one gets a kind roll and rattles in. He misses the second. 
• Lewis' shot falls short and Vanderbilt controls the rebound. Jones has to foul Lee and he has fouled out. 20 seconds left. Lee scores both to push it to seven.  
• Shackelford turns it over and that will just about do it. 
• Pippen is back at the line and he makes one of two. 
• Vanderbilt defeats Alabama, 87-79. Lee finishes with a game-high 38 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Lewis led the Crimson Tide with 30 points and eight assists.