Tennessee’s Jarnell Stokes gets to the basket Saturday against Alabama during an NCAA college basketball game in Knoxville.KNOXVILLE – Jarnell Stokes did plenty on Saturday afternoon to help Tennessee’s basketball team.
It’s what the Volunteers’ forward didn’t do on the game’s final play that turned out to be his biggest contribution.
Stokes scored 15 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and narrowly avoided fouling Trevor Lacey on the Alabama guard’s game-winning shot attempt as Tennessee earned a much-needed 54-53 win at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Finally, a close game ended Tennessee’s way.
“I just knew that would be a foul,” a relieved Stokes recalled. “If we were at Ole Miss, that would have been a foul. Thankfully today the officials got the call right.