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SALT LAKE CITY -- Alabama's tenure at or near the top of the polls will be a short one. Nick Jacobson scored 13 points, including two free throws with 24-point-two seconds left, as Utah defeated number one Alabama 51-to-49 on Monday night in the Huntsman Center.
Tim Frost added nine points and Britton Johnsen scored eight, all in the second half, as the Utes (8-3) got the 1,500th win in school history while handing the Crimson Tide (9-1) its first loss.
Alabama had a chance to tie it in the final seconds, but Erwin Dudley missed a putback in the lane. Utah's Richard Chaney grabbed the rebound as time expired.
Chaney hugged the ball and sprinted to midcourt as the Utes celebrated the upset.
Maurice Williams led the Tide with 15 points. Earnest Shelton scored 14 and Dudley finished with nine points for Alabama, which couldn't overcome a slow start when the Tide missed nine of its first ten shots.
Alabama became number one in the AP poll for the first time in its history two weeks ago when Arizona lost to L-S-U. The Crimson Tide was number one for a second straight week in Monday's new poll.
The Tide shot just 41 percent.
Alabama had the lead only once, and it didn't last long. After Emmett Thomas put the Tide up 22-to-21 with a three-pointer in the first minute of the second half, Jacobson gave the Utes the lead again with a three-pointer. It ended up being the final lead change.
Alabama stayed within eight points and had several chances to tie it at the end. Shelton was fouled with the Tide down 48-to-46 and 33-point-seven seconds to go. He made one of two from the line, then Alabama, which didn't commit a foul in the first 15 minutes of the second half, fouled five straight times to send the Utes to the line.
Jacobson went two-for-two then Dudley cut the lead back to a point on a layup with about 12 seconds to go. The Tide sent Tim Drisdom to the line next, and he made just one of two to give Alabama one more chance.
But Williams missed a jumper that would have tied it. The rebound went to Dudley, who also missed. Chaney got the final rebound.
Both teams had been off for a week, and neither played well in the first half as the score was tied 19-to-19 at halftime. Alabama had just one field goal in the first 11:46, but the Utes were shooting just about as poorly and couldn't pull away.
Utah was just 8-for-26 in the first half, missing all eleven shots from three-point range, while Alabama was 7 for 15. Both teams had eight turnovers in the half.
Utah (8-3) has won six of seven since splitting its first four games of the season.
NCAA BB FINAL 1ST 2ND TOTAL
ALABAMA (1) 19 30 49
UTAH 19 32 51 FINALHIGH SCORERS: ALABAMA - LUCKY WILLIAMS 15 UTAH - NICK JACOBSON 13
ALABAMA (9-1) Thomas 2-2 0-0 5, Dudley 4-11 1-3 9, Walker 2-3 2-2 6, Meade 0-2 0-0 0, Williams 6-15 2-2 15, Davis 0-2 0-0 0, Shelton 5-10 2-4 14, Brock 0-0 0-0 0, Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Pettway 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 19-46 7-11 49.
UTAH (8-3) Caton 1-5 2-2 4, Johnsen 4-9 0-0 8, Frost 4-11 0-0 9, Drisdom 1-4 1-2 3, Jacobson 5-14 2-2 13, Chaney 3-6 1-2 7, Markson 2-3 0-0 5, Jackson 0-0 0-0 0, Koford 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 21-54 6-8 51.
Halftime--Tied 19-19. 3-Point goals--Alabama 4-11 (Shelton 2-5, Thomas 1-1, Williams 1-4, Pettway 0-1), Utah 3-21 (Markson 1-1, Frost 1-3, Jacobson 1-7, Johnsen 0-2, Drisdom 0-2, Chaney 0-2, Caton 0-4). Fouled out--None. Rebounds--Alabama 32 (Shelton 7), Utah 30 (Frost 5). Assists--Alabama 10 (Pettway 5), Utah 10 (Caton 4). Total fouls--Alabama 16, Utah 14. A--14,665.
