Rocky at the top: Vols remove No

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.– Rocky Top was excessive for top-ranked Alabama.Zakai Zeigler and Santiago Vescovi each scored 15 points, and No. 10 Tennessee extended the jinx for No. 1 teams, jolting the Crimson Tide 68-59 on Wednesday night.On Monday, Alabama reached the leading spot in The Associated

Press poll for the very first time since the 2002-03 season. However betting the first time because the rankings came out, the Crimson Tide (22-4, 12-1 SEC)led simply when in the early going and dedicated 19 turnovers.Alabama’s loss was the 8th by an AP No. 1 team this season. That ties 1993-94 for the most in a regular season in the AP poll era(considering that 1948-49 ). Purdue has lost 3 times as No. 1 this season, Houston twice and North Carolina twice. “We turned the ball over excessive tonight,” Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats said.”[ Tennessee] got 26 points off the turnovers. Their physicality. … They got into our guards, and we could not manage it. “Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Tennessee recovered from a set of last-second beats in spite of lacking two

beginners– Josiah-Jordan James (ankle )and Julian Phillips(hip flexor)– who have been battling with injuries. The Volunteers have won 6 of their past 7 games versus top-10 teams.”After those hard losses, we stuck with it,”coach Rick Barnes stated.”We didn’t splinter.”Vols big man Jonas Aidoo included 12

points and 11 rebounds for Tennessee(20-6, 9-5).”It takes self-confidence, “he said.”

We go through the ups and downs. We simply do what we do and play hard, and we’ll be fine.

“Unlike in football, when Tennessee fans stormed their house field after the Volunteers beat No. 3 Alabama 52-49 in October, this sellout crowd stayed in the seats when it was over as”Rocky Top” shrieked. The Crimson Tide football team also reached No. 1 this past season, making Alabama the first school given that Ohio State in 2010-11 (and only the 4th in the previous 40 years)to have both its football and guys’s basketball programs at the top of the AP rankings in the very same academic year.However, Alabama men’s basketball is now 2-2 in games as the AP’s No. 1, the worst record of any team with several stints atop the poll. This season’s Tide are the third group in AP poll history to have a regular season with multiple wins against No. 1 teams and a loss as No. 1, signing up with Pitt in 2008-09 and Missouri in 1989-90. Neither of those teams made the Final Four.Alabama is 14-13 against top-25 groups throughout Oats’five years. The Tide became the last Power 5 men’s group to lose a conference game this season, and their only lead in this game came at 12-11. Brandon Miller led Alabama with

15 points together with 10 rebounds, Jaden Bradley included 14 points and Nimari Burnett had 11. Big guy Charles Bediako, who has been hobbled with a”minor knee injury “sustained in Saturday’s win over Auburn

, had the ability to play and contributed 4 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks.”We shot 6-of-20 at the rim,” Oats said. “[ Tennessee] was able to complete stuff at the rim.” Uros Plavsic, who scored 10 points, connected on a three-point play to offer Tennessee a 56-47 lead

with just over five minutes left in the game.Vescovi tossed a lob that Olivier Nkamhoua caught in midair and followed with a slam to put Tennessee ahead 19-15 with 7:42 to play in the very first half. It was connected at 29 at the break.”We were down on ourselves a bit, “Zeigler said.”We were down 17 [in

the second half Saturday versus Missouri] and we returned. We need to bring that [second-half effort] every night. “The Associated Press

contributed to this report.