Live Updates: SEC Tournament, Alabama vs. Tennessee

Crimson Tide could possibly play its way into the NCAA Tournament with another win against the Lady Vols

It beat the rival. It topped the nemesis that had its number. Now it just has to bring down the giant, again. 

If so, it might make the NCAA Tournament. 

The Alabama women's basketball team squares off against No. 18 Tennessee in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament with everything on the line Friday night. The Crimson Tide has won five of its last six games, including the last three straight, and is in the quarterfinals despite being seeded 11th. The Lady Vols are the No. 3 seed, and earned a double-bye. 

Fourth Quarter

Dye and Burrell both have 16 points for Tennessee. Dye also has 14 rebounds. 

• Alabama is 2-for-19 beyond the arc. Only has 12 turnovers. Tennessee has 21. 

• Abrams hits a 3 to pull the game with 13, 57-44.

• Cruce with a three-point play after she hits the layup. She has 12. Davis on the bench with four points still. She's 2-for-14 in shooting, 0-for-7 from beyond the arc.  

• Midway through the fourth quarter, Tennessee up 68-49. A lot of reserves are in the game. Lady Vols have led for all but 16 seconds tonight. 

• Final minutes, Tennessee flirting with being ahead by 20 again. Lady Vols have 9-1 edge in blocked shots, 43-30 advantage in rebounds. The only question now is the final score ... Alabama is heading to the NIT.  

Third Quarter 

Alabama shot 22 percent in the first half and Curry had to stay in the locker room. Davis with four points as UT did a good job nullifying her. Second half is under way. 

• Alabama's finally hitting some shots, but every time it does something positive it seems like Tennessee has an immediate answer. Vols up 44-29.

• Midway through the third quarter, Tennessee up 46-32. Davis has bene shut out this half, with four total points. 

• Alabama closed to within 12, and then Tennessee pulling away again. Vols up 51-34 with 2:23 to go in third quarter. 

End of third quarter: Tennessee 56, Alabama 37

SEC

SEC

Second Quarter

The five points scored in the first quarter was a season low for the Crimson Tide. 

• Lady Vols open the second quarter with a 5-0 run. Kristy Curry calls time out. 8:18 to go until halftime. Tennessee up 20-5.

• Barber hits a 3, and instantly becomes Alabama's leading scorer. Problem is, Tennessee immediately matched it. Crimson Tide still within striking distance at 25-11. 

• Curry called for a technical after no foul was called on a block when the Tennessee player left her feet and collided with Abrams on a drive. Think she's also trying to get her team going a little. Tennessee up 29-11. 

• 2:42 left to go in the second quarter. Abrams has nine points, which is Alabama's high point so far. Tennessee up 32-16. Tide is 5-for-29 from the floor, while Lady Vols are shooting 50 percent. 

• Another technical for Curry, she's been ejected. Argued another non-call, this time on a loose ball (This one didn't look like it was a foul). Tide down 32-16 with 2:06 until halftime. 

Halftime: Tennessee 34, Alabama 20

SEC

SEC

First Quarter 

ESPN's bracketologist confirmed during pregame that a win by Alabama might put it in the NCAA Tournament. It would put the Crimson Tide right on the edge, and probably knock Missouri out. If Alabama wins, fans need to root for no more major upsets in the other conferences. 

• Crimson Tide makes just one of first seven shots. Looks a little sluggish on the offensive end as Tennessee jumps out to a 6-2 lead. 

• Midway point of first quarter, Tide down 8-3. Alabama shooting 1-for-9 from the field, 0-for-5 from three-point range. 

• After missing eight straight shots, and starting the game 1-for-13, the Crimson Tide finally hits one on a layup. Tennessee is really good defensively, but not 2-for-16, 12.5 percent good. Vols up 13-5. 

• Alabama made one of its last 10 shots, and had four turnovers over final 5:59. End of first quarter: 15-5. Crimson Tide is very fortunate it's not worse.  

Alabama Athletics

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The Details

• Who: Alabama (17-12, 6-10) vs. No. 18 Tennessee (22-7, 11-5 SEC)  
• Tipoff: Approximately 8:30 p.m. CT
• Venue: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn. 
• Watch: SEC Network
• Winner: Advances to the semifinals, to face seventh-seeded Kentucky, which defeated LSU, Saturday at 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU).
• Series: The Lady Vols hold a 52-8 all-time record, dating back to Jan. 22, 1977. After the Crimson Tide halted a 42-game UT winning streak by claiming five straight from 2016-19.
• Last meeting: Alabama won 74-64 at Coleman Coliseum on Feb. 17 (see below).

Alabama's Starting 5

Alabama Athletics

G Brittany Davis

G Hannah Barber

Alabama Athletics

G Megan Abrams

University of Alabama

G JaMya Mingo-Young

Alabama Athletics

F Allie Craig Cruce

Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

G 1 Abrams,Megan 28 14.5 3.6 1.6

G 2 Mingo-Young,JaMya 29 11.1 7.0 2.6

G 5 Barber,Hannah 28 8.1 2.3 3.0

G 23 Davis,Brittany 29 17.7 7.0 1.4

F 12 Cruce,Allie Craig 24 2.6 1.5 0.3

G 4 Walker,Jordan 29 7.7 4.1 3.0

G 21 Darby,Tess 28 5.3 2.3 1.1

F 2 Dye,Alexus 29 8.9 7.2 0.9

F 12 Burrell,Rae 17 11.0 3.4 1.1

C 20 Key,Tamari 29 10.6 8.4 1.0

Scouting the Lady Vols

Kellie Harper's team is limping into the tournament as its been without three players who were starters last season in Marta Suárez, Keyen Green and Jordan Horston. 

Horston is Tennessee's leading scorer and rebounder this season (16.2 points, 9.4 rebounds). 

Senior forward Rae Burrell is second (11.0 points). She's only played in 17 games after suffering a knee injury in the season opener. 

The Lady Vols made a big fourth-quarter comeback during their last game, keyed by a 13-1 run, before losing to LSU 57-54 in Knoxville. With the revamped lineup, junior Tamari Key finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, Burrell and graduate Alexus Dye scored 11 and 10, respectively.

Tennessee has notched five wins against ranked teams, but is 4-6 over its last 10 games. 

👌@LadyVol_Hoops x #SECTourney pic.twitter.com/4N5sS2zoV2

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) March 5, 2022

Last Meeting

Alabama hit 10 three-pointers and shot 45.5 percent while pulling off the home upset at Coleman Coliseum against then-No. 12 Tennessee. 

Megan Abrams led Alabama in scoring with 27 points, and Brittany Davis netted 23.

Junior Tamari Key led Tennessee with a season-high 20 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Rae Burrell and junior Jordan Horston were also in double digits with 13 and 12, respectively.

However, Horston suffered a fractured elbow late in the fourth quarter and has been 

This story will be continually updated during the game.