Alabama basketball didn't need a miracle. just one shot.
After Tari Eason scored four points in a row, the Crimson Tide swung the ball past one in overtime. Thirty-eight seconds remained on the clock, and LSU called a timeout to give Alabama an opportunity to decide how it wanted to spend the next - and potentially final - possession.
Alabama had to inbound a pass with four seconds remaining at shot clock, giving one last chance. The problem is, JD Davison didn't realize that there was only so much time left in Crimson Tide.
Davison fired but the buzzer didn't even have a shot, and Alabama overturned the ball with eight seconds to go. LSU hit two free-throws to close out an 80-77 victory in overtime over No. 24 Alabama in Baton Rouge on Saturday.
Alabama basketball coach Nate Oates said, "One of my assistants said he had made eye contact with the two players involved (Jahvon Quinnerley) and (Davisson) and told them." "But Jedi said he didn't know. It's on me. As head coach, I have to make sure to look every man in the eye and tell them myself. There are four seconds on the clock. Jedi said he didn't." You know. It's on us. I thought everyone was aware."
Oates said he would have a missed 3-pointer instead of fouling after the turnover on a shot-clock violation.
Davison had to foul LSU's Eric Gaines with seven seconds to spare. Gaines went down and hit both free-throws to extend the lead to three points.
Alabama (19-12, 9-9 SEC) had a last-second chance to try and hit a 3-pointer, but Quinarley didn't get the shot to fall and LSU ran with the win. Crimson Tide and the Tigers split the regular-season series. Alabama had won the last five matchups.
These are also two consecutive losses to close out Alabama's regular season, both involving at least 19 turnovers. The first was Wednesday for Texas A&M. Back then, Alabama had 20 turnovers in regulation against the Tigers.
If the Crimson Tide had defeated the Tigers (21-10, 9-9 SEC), Alabama would have secured the No. 5 seed in the SEC tournament. It's still in the game, but it will depend on how the rest of the SEC game plays out on Saturday.
The conference tournament is set to begin Wednesday in Tampa, Florida, and Alabama is expected to begin play on Thursday. Then the Crimson Tide will discover its NCAA Tournament seed on Sunday, March 13.
"Every little detail counts in these big games, especially in these road games," Oates said. "Timeouts, executing stuff out of turnover, it all comes back to bite you when you wish you had some assets back at the end of the game."