Vols Fall Short in Final Seconds as Turnovers Doom Tennessee Against Syracuse
Tennessee had two shots to either tie or win it in the final 10 seconds. Neither one went down, and the Vols walked off the court at the JMA Wireless Dome with their second straight loss-a 62-60 heartbreaker to Syracuse in the SEC/ACC Challenge.
This one stung. Tennessee, ranked No. 13 and now sitting at 7-2, had a chance to escape with a win despite a messy performance. But in the end, the same issues that have haunted them early in the season-sloppy turnovers, inconsistent shooting, and foul trouble-came back to bite them.
Let’s break it down.
Final Moments, Missed Opportunities
With the clock winding down, Tennessee had two golden chances. The first belonged to Jaylen Carey, who had been carrying the offense all night.
He got a clean look, but his shot drifted right and clanged off the rim. Then came the desperation heave-a full-court pass hauled in by Nate Ament, who tried to bank in a layup but hit only backboard.
Game over. Syracuse fans stormed the floor.
It was a fitting end to a game where Tennessee never quite found its rhythm.
Jaylen Carey Shines in a Losing Effort
Carey was the bright spot for the Vols. The sophomore forward poured in a career-high 22 points, doing most of his damage in the paint and keeping Tennessee within striking distance when the offense stalled out in the second half. He and DeWayne Brown II formed a tough post tandem that gave Syracuse problems, but they didn’t get enough help.
Carey’s scoring surge included a key stretch where he rattled off a flurry of buckets to cut a nine-point deficit to just one, pulling Tennessee within 50-49. His energy and physicality were exactly what the Vols needed-but it wasn’t enough.
Ament’s Rough Night
Freshman Nate Ament had a night he’ll want to forget. While he did knock down a clutch three-pointer to give Tennessee a brief lead late, his overall performance was marred by mistakes-seven turnovers, including back-to-back giveaways in crunch time. He finished with 11 points on 2-of-10 shooting and added six rebounds, but his decision-making down the stretch hurt the Vols.
It’s part of the growing pains for a young player with big potential. Ament has shown flashes this season, but this game was a reminder that consistency is still a work in progress.
Turnovers Return as a Problem
After cleaning things up at the Players Era Festival, Tennessee coughed it up 17 times against Syracuse. That’s a number that’s going to make any coach wince-especially Rick Barnes, who has emphasized ball security since the preseason.
Ament wasn’t the only culprit. The Vols looked rushed at times, especially when Syracuse turned up the defensive pressure. Those empty possessions added up fast, and in a two-point game, every one of them mattered.
Gillespie Goes Quiet from Deep
Ja’Kobi Gillespie has been one of Tennessee’s most reliable perimeter threats this season, but for the first time, he didn’t connect from beyond the arc. He still managed 10 points, but the lack of a deep-ball threat made it easier for Syracuse to pack the paint and force Tennessee into tough looks.
The Vols needed someone to stretch the floor, and without Gillespie’s usual shooting, the offense became too one-dimensional.
First-Half Struggles Set the Tone
Tennessee trailed 32-30 at the break after a sluggish first half. Ament was limited to just 10 minutes due to foul trouble and scored only three points on 1-for-5 shooting. The Vols also dealt with foul issues across the board-Gillespie, Ament, and Bishop Boswell each picked up two early fouls, forcing Barnes to go deeper into the bench and roll with some offensively limited lineups.
Still, there were some sparks. Amaree Abram came off the bench and knocked down two threes to give Tennessee a lift.
Carey got off to a strong start, scoring 10 points and grabbing five boards in the first 12 minutes. But the momentum never fully swung Tennessee’s way.
Second-Half Swings
Syracuse opened the second half with a 6-0 run, capped by a transition alley-oop that brought the Dome to life and gave the Orange a 40-34 lead. Tennessee responded with a push of its own, led by Carey’s inside work, but never fully seized control.
Every time the Vols made a run, Syracuse had an answer. And when it came time to execute in the final minutes, Tennessee’s miscues-especially those late turnovers-proved costly.
What’s Next
This marks the first time since late January that Tennessee has dropped back-to-back games. They’ll have a chance to regroup soon, but the schedule doesn’t get any easier. Next up is a showdown with Illinois in Nashville-another tough test that will demand sharper execution and cleaner basketball.
There’s no need to panic in Knoxville. The Vols have the talent, and they’ve shown flashes of being a top-tier team. But if they want to compete deep into March, they’ll need to tighten the screws-especially when it comes to protecting the ball and executing in crunch time.
For now, it’s a tough loss to swallow. But there’s still plenty of basketball left to play.