Tennessee basketball 2019-2020 season recap: Vols top five wins

4. At Alabama Crimson Tide

Tennessee wins 69-68

Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020

This was a desperate game for Tennessee basketball. The Vols were on a two-game losing streak after Uros Plavsic had joined the team, and Rick Barnes was trying to establish a new identity midseason with Plavsic and Santiago Vesocvi in while Lamonte Turner had already been shut down for the year and Josiah-Jordan James was out due to injury.

With all of those working against Rocky Top, the Vols traveled to Tuscaloosa to face a dangerous Alabama Crimson Tide team that had proven to be dangerous under first-year head coach. In the process, the legend of John Fulkerson was finally born. Barnes started Plavsic and decided to play big, but Fulkerson, began his major emergence that would last through the end of the season.

Despite being down by 15 in the first half and as many as 10 in the second half, UT clawed its way back thanks to a dominant performance by Fulkerson, who had 12 points in the first half and 10 in the second en route to 22 overall. In an incredible level of efficiency, Fulkerson had 22 points, three blocks and hit eight-of-nine field goal attempts.

Jordan Bowden stepped up as well, scoring 20 points despite missing all six three-point attempts. He found other ways to be effective, including getting six steals. Yves Pons added 14 points and also had three blocks, and despite missing four of seven free throws, he hit his final two that inevitably clinched the game, giving the Vols a four-point lead. This road win got UT back on track.