Alabama Alabama/Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Men's College Basketball recap on ESPN

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings expected the worse with his top player sidelined by an aching back. His young Commodores surprised him with their best Wednesday night.

Freshman Matt Freije scored 20 points and reserve Anthony Williams added 10 as Vanderbilt upset Alabama (No. 15 ESPN/USA Today, No. 17 AP) 68-62 despite blowing a 19-point lead in the second half and center Greg LaPointe's injury.

The senior had surgery last summer to repair two bulging discs in his back and had been ailing for several days. Vandy had its worst practices of the season the past two days, deeply discouraging Stallings.

"The fact that these guys could absorb Greg's absence and win this game says more for them than anything," Stallings said.

"Greg's our best player. He's our best offensive player, and our best defensive player. He's our best passer. He is the best player head and shoulders on our team. For us to lose our best player, which in turn activates more freshmen, more guys that don't have experience, that's what says a lot for them."

Alabama (16-4, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) used a 33-8 run to erase Vanderbilt's lead and went up by 59-53 with 4:03 remaining. But Vandy refused to quit.

Vanderbilt (14-6, 4-4) scored the next 10 points, a spurt keyed by a 3-pointer and a layup by Williams. The Crimson Tide pulled within 64-62 with 34.2 seconds left on a follow by Erwin Dudley but couldn't hit another shot the rest of the way.

Mark Gottfried, who never lost to Vandy as an Alabama player but has yet to win in Nashville as the Tide's coach, called Williams' 3 a dagger.

"That changed the game. It was a good win for them, and a tough loss for us," Gottfried said.

The Commodores sealed the upset at the foul line, hitting five of eight for the final margin.

Chuck Moore added 16 points for Vanderbilt, and freshman Billy Richmond had 11.

Alabama had won two straight at home in leading the SEC West, but the Crimson Tide haven't hit the road very often this season. When the Tide do leave home, it hasn't been pretty with only one victory in four games.

The Tide struggled finding the basket and went scoreless for 5½ minutes in the first half. They finished shooting just 37 percent (24-for-64) for the game with Rod Grizzard, the SEC's leading scorer averaging 18.4 points per game, managing just 13.

He rolled his ankle with 4:24 left and was on the bench at the end of the game. Gottfried said Grizzard was pretty sore.

Vanderbilt took advantage and led 45-26 with 18:06 to go. But Grizzard helped the Tide finally respond with their run by scoring eight points in the stretch.

Travis Stinnett gave the Crimson Tide their first lead in the half at 55-53 with a 3-pointer at the 5:09 mark, and Alabama looked ready to run away after Gerald Wallace scored the next four points.

But Vandy had the next 10, including Williams' layup that gave the Commodores a 61-59 lead with 2:02 left that they wouldn't lose.

Dudley led Alabama with 17 points, and Wallace finished with 13.

Freije helped Vandy not miss LaPointe, who had been averaging more than 12 points per game. The freshman missed three games a month ago due to a stress fracture in his right leg, and he had been working his way back.

He set the pace in the opening minutes as he scored seven of the first nine points, including a 3-pointer, and finished with nine rebounds.

"We lost two games in a row, and I can't remember the last time I lost three in a row," Freije said. "Maybe when I was a freshman in high school. I wasn't about to make it happen tonight."

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Men's College Basketball Scoreboard

Alabama Clubhouse

Vanderbilt Clubhouse