NASHVILLE, Tenn. — (Alabama Athletics) No. 6/5 Alabama captured the 2021 Southeastern Conference Tournament championship with a 80-79 victory over LSU in Sunday's title game. It marks the seventh SEC Tournament trophy in Crimson Tide history and the first in 30 years, dating back to 1991.
Combined with winning the program's eighth SEC regular-season title, the Tide has now claimed a combined 15 SEC Championships in school history. The seven SEC Tournament titles rank second in conference history as UA becomes the first team since Kentucky in 2017 to win both the regular season and tournament championships in the same season. Other tournament titles include: 1934, 1982, 1987, 1989, 1990 and 1991.
The Tide owns a record of 70-53 (.569) in all-time SEC Tournament games, ranking second in tournament winning percentage and third in total tournament wins.
Team Stats
- In a game that featured 16 ties and five lead changes, Alabama captured its first SEC Tournament Championship in 30 years, the first since 1991
- Alabama set the school record for 80-point games in a single season, improving to 18-0 this season when reaching the mark
- The Tide improved to 7-7 record in SEC Tournament Championship games and ranks second in the conference in both conference tournament winning percentage and league titles won
- The Tide will take a six-game winning streak into the NCAA Tournament
- Jahvon Quinerly was named the tourney's Most Outstanding Player, while Herbert Jones was named to the all-tournament team
- Herbert Jones recorded his second straight double-double of the tournament with 13 points and 11 rebounds while dishing out six assists
- Alabama shot 43 percent (33-of-76) from the field and grabbed 50 rebounds with 28 points coming by way of the Tide bench while holding LSU to 41 percent (30-of-74) and 43 rebounds with zero points coming from the Tiger reserves
First Half
- Alabama jumped out to an early lead by scoring the game's first eight points to force an early timeout by the Vols in the first two minutes of action
- With the Tide leading 13-7 with 15:30 left in the first half, LSU went on an 8-0 run to take their first lead of the game, 15-13, at the 13:40 mark
- Alabama used a 5-0 spurt to regain the lead with the two teams trading baskets to leave UA holding on to a 24-19 advantage with 8:16 remaining in the first half
- The Tigers responded with an 14-5 run that gave LSU the upper hand, 37-33, with just 2:13 to play in the first stanza, however, Alabama finished the half on a 7-0 run to take 40-37 lead into the locker room
Second Half
- The first five minutes of the second half went back-and-forth with LSU holding a 50-47 lead with 14:02 left to play
- Alabama used a 6-0 run to take a 56-52 lead before LSU responded with an 8-0 run to take back the 60-56 lead
- The Tide fired back with a 13-3 run over the next 3:17 to lead 69-63 with 6:54 remaining in the final half
- Both teams went back-and-forth down the stretch, with each making big plays
- Alabama pushed its lead to 76-71 with a 5-0 run, but the Tigers took the 77-76 lead with a 6-0 run of its own with just one minute to play
- Trailing by one, Jones made the game-winning lay-up with 19 seconds remaining and the UA defense held for the final stop to seal the victory
