After public criticism, Texas fought back against Alabama, showcasing grit and securing a vital victory that could reignite their season.
After last week's blowout loss to Tennessee, Texas head coach Sean Miller called out his team in his postgame press conference.
“We have to be able to put a group of guys on the court that are going to play their very, very hardest, with great effort, for the University of Texas. Period," he said.
The Longhorns' season was on the verge of going off the guardrails, and a trip to Tuscaloosa to face off against the high-flying Crimson Tide offense seemed like the perfect storm that would send them spiraling into the Southeastern Conference abyss.
However, in a shocking turn of events, Texas did something it hasn't done much of all season -- show fight.
It would've been easy to wave the white flag before the game started, especially after their coach publicly criticized them a few days prior. But Miller's comments seemed to have the opposite effect.
Texas came out flying, opening up an 11-point lead at one point in the first-half. Alabama would cut its lead to one before halftime, but it was still a very encouraging first-half performance from the Longhorns.
Texas would immediately respond in the second-half, increasing its lead to 13 with about 13 minutes left in the contest. But then everything changed.
The Crimson Tide started catching fire, and suddenly, the Coleman Coliseum was rocking. The Longhorns were rattled, and with just under six minutes remaining, Alabama tied it up at 74 points apiece.
But Texas didn't panic. They were able to weather the Crimson Tide storm and ultimately outplay the No. 13 team in the country in crunch time on its home court.
"You felt like, 'oh here comes that run', and with the way they play offense, they can score so quickly," Miller said after the game. "You really have to just stay with it and not break... when we really needed a couple baskets, we were able to get them."
The Longhorns showed the best of themselves in their 92-88 win over Alabama. It's something that they must do more often if it is to be successful in the SEC and possibly make the NCAA Tournament.
" It was an amazing atmosphere, crowd, and for us to leave with the win, I think it gives us a real shot of confidence and an understanding of how hard you have to compete to have a chance to win in the SEC," Miller said.
"Tonight, we competed at a higher level than we have recently."
Their performance against the Crimson Tide gives their season a much-needed lifeline. Whether they take it is up to them.