TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- With the outright SEC lead in jeopardy, Alabama dug out of a double-digit hole before finally taking control in overtime.
Grant Nelson had 22 points, 8 rebounds and 6 blocked shots and No. 13 Alabama started fast in OT to beat newly ranked No. 24 Florida 98-93 on Wednesday night.
The Crimson Tide (19-7, 11-2) scored the first seven points of overtime and held on to preserve their perch atop the league standings over No. 5 Tennessee after a shootout between two of the nation's top 10 scoring teams.
Alabama Coach Nate Oats said he was "still not quite sure how we figured out how to win it."
"We're figuring out ways to win games," Oats said. "If you're going to win league championships, which we're obviously in the hunt for with five games left, these are the games that you've got to figure out ways to win when you don't play well."
Aaron Estrada scored on a follow shot with 7 seconds left after Sam Walters kept the ball alive. Estrada finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals.
Walter Clayton Jr. led Florida with 27 points but missed a potential tying three-pointer at the end. Alabama's Mark Sears collected the rebound, drew an immediate foul and made two free throws.
Florida (18-8, 8-5) didn't score in overtime until Clayton made a pair of free throws with 2:28 left, and he got two more on the next possession to pull the Gators within 92-89. Sears stripped the ball from Clayton on a drive to the basket and Rylan Griffen made two foul shots.
Alex Condon's short jumper cut it to 94-93 with 36 seconds left. Estrada snared the rebound after Griffen's missed three-pointer. But the Gators appeared in charge much of the game after their first ranking under Coach Todd Golden.
"I think we have a chance at a really special end of the year," Golden said. "Even though we came up short tonight, I think our effort indicates that."
Alabama opened the extra period with two baskets by Estrada sandwiched around Griffen's three-pointer.
Sears had 17 points and eight of Alabama's 19 assists.
LSU 75, NO. 17 KENTUCKY 74
BATON ROUGE -- Tyrell Ward capped a 17-point performance with a short floater as time expired, and LSU pulled out a second consecutive comeback victory over a ranked team with a victory over No. 17 Kentucky.
The Wildcats nearly sealed a dramatic, last-minute comeback when Adou Thiero blocked Jordan Wright's driving shot in the final seconds, but Wright was able to push the ball back up toward Ward, who leapt to grab the ball and quickly release his decisive shot before he came down.
Wright and Jalen Reed each scored 13 points for LSU (14-12, 6-7), which erased a 15-point, second half deficit. Antonio Reeves scored 25 points for Kentucky (18-8, 8-5).
NO. 7 MARQUETTE 105,
DePAUL 71
MILWAUKEE -- Tyler Kolek had a school-record 18 assists, Kam Jones scored a career-high 34 points and No. 7 Marquette bounced back from its most-lopsided loss of the season to rout DePaul.
Marquette (20-6, 11-4) returned to form four nights after an 81-53 loss at No. 1 UConn that snapped the Golden Eagles' eight-game winning streak. DePaul (3-23, 0-15) has lost 15 in a row by an average margin of 24.1 points.
NO. 8 DUKE 84, MIAMI 55
CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Jeremy Roach scored 16 points to lead No. 8 Duke to a victory over Miami.
Kyle Filipowski and Mark Mitchell each had 15 points for the Blue Devils (21-5, 12-3), who won their fifth in a row and 16th of 18.
Wooga Poplar and Bensley Joseph finished with 15 points each for the Hurricanes (15-12, 6-10).
PENN STATE 90,
NO. 12 ILLINOIS 89
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Zach Hicks made three free throws after being fouled on a three-pointer with three seconds left to give Penn State a victory over No. 12 Illinois.
Nick Kern Jr. scored a career-high 22 points, and Hicks and Qudus Wahab added 13 apiece to help Penn State (13-14, 7-9) overcome a 14-point deficit in the second half. The Nittany Lions snapped a three-game losing streak.
Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 19 of his 35 points in the second half for Illinois (19-7, 10-5).
GEORGE MASON 71,
NO. 16 DAYTON 67
FAIRFAX, Va. -- Baraka Okojie scored all of his career-high 19 points in the second half, and George Mason rallied past No. 16 Dayton for the first home victory over a ranked foe in program history.
Keyshawn Hall added 17 points for the Patriots (18-8, 7-6), who trailed 40-29 early in the second half before their physical defense keyed a 24-2 run that had Coach Tony Skinn asking the boisterous home crowd to get even louder.
DaRon Holmes II scored 26 points for Dayton (21-5, 11-3).
SEC MEN
GEORGIA 76,
VANDERBILT 64
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Noah Thomasson scored 17 points, all in the first half, Jabri Abdur-Rahim added 13 points and Georgia rolled past Vanderbilt.
Georgia's 16-point halftime lead was trimmed to 11 before Justin Hill scored five points and Blue Cain hit a three-pointer in a 12-0 run that put the Bulldogs up 63-40 near the 11-minute mark. Paul Lewis hit a three-pointer to get Vanderbilt within 14 points with about 2 minutes left, but there would be no more scoring until Vandy's Ven-Allen Lubin made a layup with 23 seconds left for the final margin.
Lewis had 18 points for the Commodores (7-19, 2-11). Russel Tchewa had 10 rebounds for Georgia (15-11, 5-8).
TOP 25 WOMEN
NO. 5 TEXAS 77,
TEXAS TECH 72
AUSTIN, Texas -- Amina Muhammad had 16 points and a career-best 15 rebounds to help No. 5 Texas beat Texas Tech for its seventh straight win.
Taylor Jones led Texas (25-3, 12-3) with 19 points. Jasmine Shavers scored a game-high 27 points for Texas Tech. Bailey Maupin scored 22.
Tech (16-12, 5-10) trailed by just four with about three minutes remaining, but Jones made a layup and Shaylee Gonzales added a three-pointer, increasing the lead to nine.
NO. 10 KANSAS STATE 73,
NO. 22 WEST VIRGINIA 64, OT
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Ayoka Lee scored 34 points and No. 10 Kansas State (23-4, 12-3 Big 12) rallied to beat No. 22 West Virginia (22-4, 11-4).
Lee scored the opening basket of overtime which was followed by a two-pointer by Serena Sundell for an early four-point lead in the extra frame. The Wildcats (23-4, 12-3) used a 9-0 run in overtime to win by nine.
NO. 24 BAYLOR 69, KANSAS 61
WACO, Texas -- Dre'una Edwards scored 20 points and No. 24 Baylor (20-6, 9-6 Big 12) defeated Kansas (15-11, 8-7), reaching 20 wins for the 24th-consecutive season.
SUN BELT WOMEN
TROY 77, ARKANSAS STATE 65
Arkansas State fell behind early and was never able to recover as it fell to Troy on Wednesday night at First National Bank Arena in Jonesboro.
Troy (16-10, 12-3 Sun Belt Conference) completed the season sweep of ASU with the win. Four players scored in double figures for the Trojans, with Makayia Hallmon leading the way with 15 points. Tai'Sheka Porchia and Zay Dyer finished with 13 points apiece, while Ja'Mia Hollings added 12.
Arkansas State (13-13, 6-9) also had four players reach double figures, led by Anna Griffin, who scored a game-high 21 points and collected seven rebounds. Izzy Higginbottom finished with 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting.
Lauryn Pendleton also scored 12 points and Wynter Rogers chipped in 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds for ASU.
Miami guard Wooga Poplar, center, looks for an opening past Duke players during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, in Coral Gables, Fla. Duke players from left: Ryan Young, Jeremy Roach, and Jaylen Blakes. (2)(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami forward Norchad Omier, left, looks for an opening past Duke guards Caleb Foster (1) and Jeremy Roach, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami forward Norchad Omier (15) attempts a dunk during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Duke, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami guard Jakai Robinson (13) drives to the basket against Duke guards Caleb Foster (1) and Jared McCain (0) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami guard Bensley Joseph, center, Duke forward Sean Stewart (13) and guard Tyrese Proctor, right, battle for a loose ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Duke center Ryan Young (15) and Miami guard Wooga Poplar (5) battle for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Duke forward Mark Mitchell (25) dunks the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Miami, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Duke center Kyle Filipowski (30) goes to the basket against Miami forward Norchad Omier during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Duke forward Mark Mitchell (25) goes up for a shot against Miami forward Norchad Omier (15) and guard Paul Djobet, rear, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)