LSU's standing atop the SEC appeared tenuous early Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Home-standing Alabama (17-12, 8-8) had overcome an early deficit and taken slight, but enthusiastic control in the second half of its senior day contest.

But the No. 13 Tigers (24-5, 14-2) responded with an 11-3 run, highlighted by a pair of Darius Days jumpers, in the final minutes to escape with a 74-69 victory and their inside track to the conference tournament's top seed still intact.

Junior guard Skylar Mays led the team with 20 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals — including an emphatic dunk of a Tremont Waters lob off the backboard with 41 seconds remaining to help hold off the Crimson Tide's final, last-minute comeback attempt.

Freshman guard Javonte Smart finished with 19 points, three assists and three steals in his third straight start as Waters continues to work back from an undisclosed illness.

And freshman forward Naz Reid tallied his sixth double-double, including his second straight, with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Waters scored five points, dished out three assists and snatched four steals in 24 minutes of the bench in his first action after missing the past two games.

Days provided the five timely points and eight rebounds off the bench.

LSU was able to overcome a frustrated shooting performance for much of the first half to sweep two meetings with Alabama in the same season for the first time since 2003-04.

The Tigers finished the game 28-for-66 (42 percent) from the floor despite never finding their rhythm from the perimeter where they hit just four of 17 (24 percent) of their 3-point attempts.

Reid helped lead the team's 40-point performance in the paint.

And LSU meanwhile held the Tide to 24-for-64 (38 percent) from the field and 8-for-26 (31 percent) from beyond the arc and out-rebounded its hosts, 48-40.

LSU scored the game's first seven points en route to an early 10-point lead.

But Alabama slowly chipped its way back into lead during a nearly seven-minute Tigers drought.

A pair of Reid baskets lifted LSU back ahead, 29-28, at the midway mark.

And neither team could gain much separation from there until the Tigers managed enough timely plays to exit with the victory.

Crimson Tide sophomore John Petty Jr. led all players with 23 points

Senior forward Donta Hall scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

And guard Riley Norris added 13 points and nine rebounds.