No. 4 Alabama snaps losing streak, Oregon upsets No. 11 Wisconsin and No. 6 Tennessee outlasts No. 7 Texas A&M in Saturday men's hoops

After two electric matchups on Friday ended in an upset and in-state bragging rights, men's basketball returned on Saturday with even more high-level, down-to-the-wire hoops.

Here's a look at some of the day's most exciting moments and games.

No. 6 Tennessee outlasts No. 7 Texas A&M for big road win 

No. 6 Tennessee (22-5, 9-5 SEC) escaped College Station, TExas on Saturday, hanging on to beat No. 7 Texas A&M, 77–69, in a back-and-forth matchup. The victory added to the team's school record of AP Top 25 ranked wins (seven) in a season. 

The Aggies (20-7, 9-5 SEC) were in the driver’s seat for most of the first half by spreading the love. Seven players scored in the first 10 minutes of play for Texas A&M, resulting in a lead as much as nine. 

Yet, there was one reason Texas A&M couldn’t up their lead to double digits — Volunteers guard Chaz Lanier. Lanier single-handedly kept Tennessee in the contest, scoring 22 of the team's first-half points and knocking down six of seven 3-pointers. The Vols led 36-32 at the break.

Lanier’s hot hand cooled down to just eight points after the break, but his slowed production reflected each team’s shooting performance in the second half. The SEC foes contributed their fair share of scoring droughts and lack of field goals. In the first 11 minutes, the Aggies made five shots to the Volunteers’ four. 

The difference maker was Tennessee’s clutch shots down the stretch. While Texas A&M fought to stay in the contest using the charity stripe, the Volunteers' final three field goals were 3-pointers, including guard Zakai Zeigler’s with 21 seconds left.

THE DAGGER. WHO ELSE BUT Z.

— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops)

The eight-point win moves Tennessee above Texas A&M in the SEC standings as both teams trudge through a gauntlet-like schedule in the SEC. The Aggies lost their second straight contest and ranked matchup. 

Oregon stuns No. 11 Wisconsin in overtime

Oregon pulled off a gritty road upset over No. 11 Wisconsin, outlasting the Badgers 77-73 in overtime at the Kohl Center. Nate Bittle delivered in the clutch, scoring five of his game-high 23 points in the extra period to push the Ducks to their fourth straight win.

Wisconsin led for nearly 36 minutes, building a 15-point advantage in the first half behind John Tonje’s 22 points. But Oregon clawed back, fueled by Jackson Shelstad and Keeshawn Barthelemy. The Ducks erased a six-point deficit in the final two minutes of regulation, tying the game at 66 on a deep Shelstad 3-pointer with 12 seconds left.

What a shot from the Oregonian!

— Oregon Men's Basketball (@OregonMBB)

Overtime was a back-and-forth battle, with Wisconsin briefly taking a 68-66 lead. Oregon responded with a Bittle layup and free throws from Kwame Evans Jr. to regain control. Bittle added another basket with under a minute left before Barthelemy iced the game at the line.

Oregon capitalized on Wisconsin’s mistakes, scoring 24 points off 17 Badger turnovers. The Ducks also controlled the paint, outrebounding Wisconsin 40-37 while limiting the Badgers to 25% shooting from deep.

Wisconsin’s loss snaps a five-game winning streak and dents its Big Ten title hopes.

Fears, Oklahoma hold off No. 21 Mississippi State 

Scoring over 90 points hasn’t been commonplace for Oklahoma this season, reaching the near-triple-digit mark just three times entering Saturday.

The Sooners (17-10, 4-10 SEC) added a fourth to the list against No. 21 Mississippi State (19-8, 7-7), winning 93-87 behind guard Jeremiah Fears’ second-highest scoring performance of his freshman campaign with 27 points and a career-high 10 assists. 

The first 30 minutes of the game were tighter than a phone booth. Between six ties and two lead changes, neither team led by more than seven points until nine minutes remained in the second half.

Oklahoma’s first double-digit lead came from forward Sam Godwin’s layup at the 8:19 mark and reached as high as 14. The Bulldogs attempted to make a late comeback, holding OU without a field goal for nearly the last three minutes of play, but hit a final roadblock when it was a three-point game with 30 seconds left.

Alongside Fears, Godwin and forward Jalon Moore combined for 35 points in the win, and it’s the team’s fourth-ranked win of the year — highest at that. 

The Sooners will look to build upon the win, something that's been hard to come by in a strong conference like the SEC, with three consecutive ranked matchups ahead. Mississippi State hopes to get back on track against No. 4 Alabama on Tuesday.

Arkansas upsets No. 15 Missouri to keep tournament hopes alive

Arkansas (16-11, 5-9 SEC) grinds out an important win against No. 15 Missouri (20-7, 9-5 SEC) to keep its tournament hopes alive, winning 92-85. 

Earlier this week, Arkansas coach John Calipari said his team has to play every remaining game like it’s an NCAA tournament game. Not only did his team step up to the challenge tonight, but so did the home crowd at Bud Walton Arena in an electric home atmosphere for the hogs. 

Another one, thank you

— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB)

The Razorbacks came into this one having lost back-to-back tight road games against AP top 10 opponents. Earlier this week, they held Auburn to its third lowest score all season, but Arkansas’ offense just couldn’t find its rhythm to knock off No. 1. 

But that was not the case tonight, as the Razorbacks’ 92 points are their most since a Dec. 30 win over Oakland. Arkansas shot 54.7% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc in an offensive resurgence at home. The Razorbacks also went 28 for 37 from the foul line, and all of their starters reached double figures, led by Zvonimir Ivisic (20) and Johnell Davis (18). 

Turnovers were a big factor in this one, with the Razorbacks scoring 30 points on 18 Missouri giveaways, while the Tigers only tallied 14 points on 16 Arkansas turnovers. Missouri mounted a late comeback effort, pulling within five points with under a minute to go, but the Tigers couldn’t get the bounces they needed to come out of Fayetteville with a win.

Arkansas gets a much-needed win to keep its tournament hopes alive. The Razorbacks came into this game widely regarded as one of the first four teams out of the NCAA tournament, but another win over a top 15 opponent should greatly help the Razorbacks’ case. 

Vanderbilt downs No. 24 Ole Miss 

Vanderbilt (18-9, 6-8 SEC) held off a second-half comeback effort from No. 24 Ole Miss (19-8, 8-6 SEC), winning 77-72. Vanderbilt snaps a three-game losing streak and gets a much-needed conference win.

The Commodores had an impressive first half, getting out to an 18-6 lead in the first five minutes. Vanderbilt kept its foot on the gas throughout the half, leading by as much as 19 and taking a 41-33 lead into the locker room at halftime. 

But Ole Miss wouldn’t go down without a fight, going on a 14-5 run to start the second half and to retake the lead. The teams traded scores down the stretch, but some late clutch scoring put this one away for the Commodores. 

Gotta be faster than that 🎣

— Vanderbilt Men's Basketball (@VandyMBB)

Four Vanderbilt starters finished with double-digit points, led by Chris Manon (16) and Jason Edwards (15). Malik Dia led the Rebels with 22 points while Sean Pedulla had 21, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Rebels’ slow start. 

Vanderbilt now has three ranked wins at home this season, getting back on track and keeping their tournament hopes alive with just four regular season games remaining. 

Mark Sears powers No. 4 Alabama to win over No. 17 Kentucky 

No. 4 Alabama (22-5, 11-3 SEC) snapped its two-game losing streak with a 96-83 win over No. 17 Kentucky (18-9, 7-7 SEC). 

Kentucky came out hot in this one, leading by as many as 12 in the first half, but Alabama’s high-powered offense was too much for the Wildcats to handle. The Tide came alive midway through the half, going on a 24-4 run to take the lead late. Alabama took a 47-40 lead into the locker room, and it never gave the lead back. 

Kentucky played well offensively, going 42.6% from the field and 34.6% from three-point range, but it couldn’t keep pace with Alabama’s shooters, who finished 52.5% from the field and 35.5% from deep. Alabama’s offense capitalized on any mistakes the Wildcats made, scoring 24 points on 15 Kentucky turnovers. The transition game was a big advantage for Alabama, outscoring Kentucky 23-6 on the fastbreak. 

Mark Sears led Alabama with 30 points, giving him back-to-back 30-point games against AP top 25 opponents. The Wildcats just couldn’t solve him defensively, and he was a perfect 11/11 from the foul line. 

23 points for Number 1.

— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB)

Four Kentucky starters hit double figures. Koby Brea had 20, while Andrew Carr and Amari Williams each had 17. But foul trouble became an issue for the Wildcats as the game stretched on, and the Alabama offense kept it just out of reach until Kentucky ran out of gas. 

No. 5 Houston (23-4, 15-1 Big 12) relied on a big performance by L.J. Cryer to stave off an injured No. 8 Iowa State (21-6, 11-5 Big 12) in a top-ranked Big 12 matchup, winning 68-59. 

The Cyclones were without their top two scorers, Curtis Jones (illness) and Keshon Gilbert (muscle strain), but Houston struggled to close out a battered Iowa State team who only recently saw Milan Momcilovic return from injury. Houston came out strong in the first half, leading by as many as 16 points and taking a 34-22 lead into halftime. But the Cougars took their foot off the gas in the second, allowing the Cyclones creep back in and pull within one point with 8:10 left to go. 

The Cougars struggled to hold onto the ball in this game, turning it over a season-high 17 times. But L.J. Cryer wouldn’t let the Cougars lose the lead, putting up 28 points, just two shy of his career-high 30. He went five-for-seven from three-point range and carried the Cougars to a win that proved to be harder than expected against an injured Iowa State. 

Tough shot taker. Tough shot maker.

📺 ESPN |

— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK)

Milos Uzan finished with 19 points but led the Cougars with four turnovers. Momcilovic and Nate Heise led Iowa State with 16 and 12 points respectively. These two teams have a chance to meet again in the Big 12 tournament, but Iowa State hopes to be fully healthy by then.