Trailing by three with 16 seconds left, Alabama men’s basketball junior guard Aden Holloway drove to the basket — only to be met by Texas junior forward Daily Swain, who blocked the shot from behind.
Senior guard Jordan Pope would collect the loose ball and head to the free-throw line to make the score 90-85.
On the next possession, freshman forward Amari Allen scored a three-pointer for Alabama before Holloway sent Pope to the free-throw line again.
The free throws from Pope sealed the game, giving the Longhorns a signature 92-88 win away from home over the No. 13/12 Crimson Tide Saturday night.
While Pope’s free throws late in the game clinched the victory, his overall performance guided the Longhorns throughout the game. With 28 points in 30 minutes, the guard made six three-pointers, collected three rebounds and did not miss from the free-throw line. His efficient scoring performance comes after he went scoreless in Tuesday’s loss against Tennessee.
Outside of his clutch free-throws late in the game, Pope also helped to reestablish the momentum Texas had lost in the first half. Leading by as much as 11 points in the first period, the Longhorns allowed the Tide to end the half only down by one point.
However, Pope would score 20 of his points in the second half, including a three-pointer with 13:04 left to extend the Texas lead to 13 points — the largest of the game.
Outside of Pope’s scoring performance, the entire team showed off classic “Texas Fight” with its gritty defensive and physical efforts.
Head coach Sean Miller ran a drop coverage defensive set that forced the Crimson Tide to take tough shots. The defensive set relied on its guards to heavily defend the perimeter and not allow three-pointers, or at the very least, contest them.
Taking away the shots from distance, sophomore center Matas Vokietaitis and graduate forward Lassina Traore would drop into the paint to block lanes for Alabama to drive to the basket. This forced tougher shots from the mid-range.
The Crimson Tide’s backcourt struggled against the set, with Holloway and sophomore guard Labaron Philon Jr. going a combined 2-10 from beyond the arc. Alabama also struggled to rebound with the physicality that Texas showed around the rim, getting out-rebounded 48-38.
The win for the Longhorns could turn around what has been an up-and-down season and a disappointing start to conference play.
Although Texas dropped its SEC opener at home against Mississippi State in an overtime 101-98 loss and proceeded to lose 85-71 against No. 21/22 Tennessee, an away win against a top-15 team can help give the Longhorns the momentum they need to face the rest of their SEC schedule.
The momentum will be key as the Longhorns welcome the undefeated No. 11/10 Vanderbilt Commodores on Wednesday before hosting rival Texas A&M the following Saturday.
