The men of Alabama’s basketball team defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 68-65 Saturday in Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide (9-6, 1-1 SEC) claimed its first Southeastern Conference win in its home conference opener. Head coach Anthony Grant emphasized earlier in the week how important experience and leadership was to his team’s success for the remainder of the season. Against Tennessee, he received strong performances in the second half from senior guard Andrew Steele and junior guard Trevor Releford. During the first half Steele had two points, while Releford had not made a single basket. But once the second half started, Releford scored eight of the Tide’s first 10 points, and Steele tallied 6 unanswered points within 30 seconds. “I thought that stretch there was incredible and Andrew spearheaded it with his intensity, energy and communication on the court,” Grant said. “When he shows that heart his teammates are going to follow. “Releford was able to do that early in the second half getting to the rim and with his defensive intensity. We need those guys to continue to step up and be the leaders of this team, and we need the others guys to follow suit.” Releford’s hot start to the second half sparked Alabama and frustrated Tennessee head coach Cuonzo Martin. But Martin commended Releford’s late-game heroics and said that the Alabama point guard is deadly with the ball in his hand. “I’ve said to our staff he’s probably one of the best guys in the country – in my opinion – in transition. He’s scoring the basketball, and he’s getting fouled,” Martin said. “It’s a tremendous stat. This guy scores the ball in transition. He’s very crafty with the basketball.” However, Releford said that his teammates’ persistence on defense allowed him to start filling up his stat sheet late in the game. “I just took what the defense gave me, and I was able to hit some shots,” Releford said. “I credit it all to my team with the pressure they were putting out there. They allowed me to get into transition and make easy buckets.” Releford and Trevor Lacey finished the game with 15 points. Levi Randolph claimed 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. Steele helped with 11 points off of the bench. Whatever Grant said to his players in the locker room at halftime worked because the Tide went from shooting 26.7 percent from the floor in the first half to 62.5 percent in the second. “Coach challenged us at halftime to go out and play to our ability and come out with intensity and alertness,” Releford said. “I think we did that on defense, and that allowed us to get out in transition and play to our ability.” Grant said his team played with intensity and passion in the second half, and his players need to approach the rest of the season the same way. “The heart we played with in the second half I thought won the game for us,” Grant said. “My message to them after the game was for the way that they played I was extremely proud of them.” Alabama will face Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss. on Wednesday Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. The Tide returns to Coleman Coliseum on Saturday Jan. 19 to battle Texas A&M in the program’s 2,500th game.