BATON ROUGE – Despite Derek Fountain's 26 points, LSU men’s basketball dropped their 10th straight game to No. 4 Alabama 79-69 Saturday inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. 

The Tigers fall to 12-11 overall, 1-9 in the SEC, while Alabama is now at 20-3, 10-0 in the league.

This matchup three weeks ago was a 40-point blowout in Tuscaloosa, but Saturday LSU never allowed the Tide to get out by more than 12 points in the game. The Tigers cut the deficit to just two points three times in the second half, at 50-48 with 15:48 to play, 53-51 with 14:39 to go and 56-54 with 13:09 to play.

LSU junior Derek Fountain had by far his best game as a collegiate hooper, scoring 26 points in 35 minutes, making 6-of-9 field goals, including 2-of-3 from the arc and 12-of-15 at the free throw line as he drew a total of nine fouls. Fountain, whose previous career high was as a freshman ironically in the Maravich Center as a Mississippi State Bulldog against LSU, was 20.

Fountain also had two assists, no turnovers and blocked four shots.

Junior Cam Hayes also chipped in with 15 points.

LSU returns to the road on Wednesday night to face Mississippi State in Starkville, before a Saturday night 7:30 p.m. game against Texas A&M.