TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Wayne Chism scored all 11 of his points in the final seven minutes as eighth-ranked Tennessee held off Alabama for a 63-56 Southeastern Conference basketball victory Tuesday night.
Scotty Hopson scored 17 points and the short-handed Volunteers (15-2, 3-0) remained in survival mode, overcoming poor shooting by making it an even tougher night for the Crimson Tide shooters.
Tennessee held Alabama (11-7, 1-3) to one basket in the final 3:30 and made five of six free throws down the stretch to ice the win.
The Vols shot 39 percent and were held to their fewest points since scoring 57 against DePaul on Nov. 22. But they limited Alabama to 38 percent and held leading scorer Mikhail Torrance to three points.
The Vols are now 5-0 after four key players were suspended following Jan. 1 arrests.
Chism's minutes were limited by early foul trouble, but he took over inside at the end and scored all but three of Tennessee's final 14 points. The Vols' 11-point lead was starting to dwindle when he hit a shot and a free throw for his first points with 7:13 to play to make it 52-42.
Then the Vols went to him inside for their next two baskets as well, and he scored four points in the final 1:05 on a basket and two free throws to send Alabama to its third straight loss.
Torrance hit one of two foul shots with 1:22 remaining to end a two-minute scoring drought in the game and cut Tennessee's lead to 56-53. But Chism and Bobby Maze each hit two free throws in the final minute.
Chism was coming off a season-best 26-point performance against Mississippi but played only five minutes in the first half Tuesday after picking up two fouls.
Hopson accounted for all three of Tennessee's 3-pointers. Kenny Hall added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Vols.
JaMychal Green led Alabama with 16 points and 12 rebounds but had five turnovers and was only 6-of-15 shooting. Tony Mitchell had 11 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots.
Torrance went 1-of-9 shooting after coming in averaging nearly 16 points a game. His only field goal came on a steal and a dunk moments before Chism got hot.
The Vols finished the first half with a flourish but trailed 25-24. Hall darted through the middle for a putback dunk at the buzzer.
It was Tennessee's second lowest first-half total of the season, topping only a 20-point performance against Southern California.
The Vols' past four wins have come against teams that beat them last season.