Vanderbilt Commodores vs Alabama Crimson Tide Box Score on Feb 20, 2021

No. 8 Alabama struggled to find separation, but thanks to a season-high 27 points from Jaden Shackelford, the Crimson Tide eked out an 82-78 win over Vanderbilt in Southeastern Conference play at Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday afternoon.

Jahvon Quinerly and Alex Reese chipped in with 15 and 10 points, respectively, for the Crimson Tide (18-5, 13-1 SEC) on Alabama's Senior Day.

Scotty Pippen Jr. had 24 points and four assists for Vanderbilt (6-12, 2-10), while Dylan Disu had his second straight double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Max Evans scored 18 points for the Commodores on 7-of-9 shooting from the field.

Alabama came in with the league's best 3-point efficiency in league games (40.8 percent), while the Commodores had the league's worst defense against the 3 in SEC games (38.6 percent), but 'Bama hit just 25.6 percent (10 of 39) behind the arc compared with Vandy's 43.5 percent (10 of 23).

The Crimson Tide led by four at half, but Disu tied it at 33 on a fast-break dunk off an alley-oop from Jordan Wright. An Evans layup gave the Commodores a two-point lead with 17:30 left.

Alabama re-took the lead at 43-41 on a Shackelford layup with 12:56 left off a fast-break pass from Herbert Jones.

After Reese blocked Disu's layup on the Commodores' ensuing possession, Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse screamed at the trailing official on Alabama's trip up the floor and drew a technical.

The Crimson Tide hit both technical free throws, and Jones hit a 3 on the ensuing possession as Alabama took a 48-41 lead.

Vandy's Pippen hit a pair of free throws, but Reese answered with a dunk; then Jones hit a layup and a free throw for Alabama's first double-digit lead at 53-43 with 10:45 left.

That lead increased to 12, but Vandy wouldn't go away.

Alabama coach Nate Oats picked up a technical with 8:31 left, and Pippen hit both free throws to get Vandy within six.

The Commodores tied it at 63 on a Disu free throw with 6:08 left, and then Pippen's layup gave Vandy a 65-63 lead with 5:37 left.

Shackelford's two layups capped a 7-0 run to extend Alabama's lead to 70-65 with 4:21 left.

Jones fouled out with 3:56 left, but Vanderbilt couldn't capitalize. A Quinerly 3-pointer with 2:09 left put Alabama up 76-70, and the sophomore then made a free throw with 2.4 seconds left to account for the final margin.

Alabama couldn't clinch the SEC's regular-season title on Saturday because Arkansas' game with Texas A&M was postponed, but the Crimson Tide have four more conference wins than the Razorbacks and three fewer losses.

--Field Level Media