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Tennessee looks to keep pace in SEC

Jan 29, 2008 - 2:56 PM No. 8 Tennessee (17-2) at Alabama (12-8) 9:00 pm EST

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama (Ticker) - No. 8 Tennessee will attempt to win its second straight game after suffering a recent loss on Tuesday against Alabama in a Southeastern Conference game.

The Volunteers (17-2, 4-1 SEC) rebounded from a loss to Kentucky that snapped an 11-game winning streak with a 85-69 home victory over Georgia on Saturday.

"We came out soft with everything," Georgia coach Dennis Felton said. "Soft with the ball, soft with our passes, soft with the dribble, soft with our post game. We were just soft."

Senior guard Chris Lofton shook off a season-long shooting slump for Tennessee, finishing with seven 3-pointers and a season-high 27 points. Lofton leads the Volunteers in scoring at 14.5 points per game, down from 20.8 last season.

"Move around," Lofton said of what he needed to break the slump. "I got caught standing around a lot at the beginning of the season."

Sophomore forward Duke Crews returned to action for the first time since December 4 for Tennessee. Crews was held out after a medical test found a heart condition that needed to be reviewed and finished with nine points and eight rebounds in 14 minutes.

Senior guard JaJuan Smith averages 13.9 points and sophomore forward Tyler Smith is at 13.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for the Volunteers, who trail the all-time series, 71-62.

The Crimson Tide (12-8, 1-4) ended a four-game losing streak with their first conference victory in their last game, a 97-77 home victory over in-state rival Auburn on Saturday.

"(Our team) deserved what they got because of all the work they have been putting in," head coach Mark Gottfried said. "We are back where we need to be, and I am very proud of our guys for that. It's amazing what kind of game you get when you make some shots. We had a lot of people getting after the ball and being aggressive, and we need to keep that up."

Junior forward Richard Hendrix leads Alabama with 19.4 points and 10.2 rebounds. Alonzo Gee, a 6-foot-6 junior guard, averages 15.9 points and 7.8 boards. Senior forward Mykal Riley averages 13.3 points for the Crimson Tide.