With 15 seconds left in overtime, Tennessee clung to a three-point lead on the road in Athens. Felix Okpara had just calmly knocked down a free throw to push the Vols ahead, and Georgia was staring down one final possession with a chance to tie or extend the game.
What followed was a sequence that left fans stunned and bettors shaking their heads.
Georgia, needing a quick three or a fast two with time to foul, worked the ball up the court but couldn’t find a clean look from deep. As the seconds ticked away, Marcus “Smurf” Millender saw an opening and drove hard to the rim for an uncontested layup.
It dropped - but with less than a second left on the clock, the game was effectively over. Tennessee inbounded, and that was that: 86-85, Vols win.
It was a smart basketball play in a vacuum - take the points when they’re there - but in the context of the moment, it was a costly miscue. Georgia needed a three or a quick two with enough time to stop the clock.
Instead, Millender’s bucket sealed the loss and, in a twist that had sports bettors buzzing, flipped the betting outcome. Tennessee entered the game as a 1.5-point favorite.
Had Georgia missed a desperation three, the Vols would’ve covered. Instead, the Bulldogs’ final bucket ensured they covered the spread - despite losing the game.
Georgia head coach Mike White addressed the play afterward, standing by his veteran guard.
“I didn’t even talk to him about it,” White said. “I know Smurf was as down as anybody in the locker room after the game. And I told him, I told all these guys - I thought Smurf played as well as anybody on our team tonight.”
White emphasized that mistakes were made across the board - players, coaches, everyone - and pointed to Millender’s overall performance as a bright spot.
“He’s made probably a dozen huge positive plays for our program late in games,” White added. “We’ve got to execute down the stretch a little bit better, of course. But I believe in Smurf.”
And it’s not hard to see why.
Millender was electric off the bench, pouring in 19 points in just 28 minutes. He shot 8-of-10 from the field, knocked down a three, dished out four assists, grabbed two boards, and turned it over just once. It was the kind of efficient, confident performance that gives a team life - and keeps them in tight games like this one.
For Tennessee, the win moves them forward with momentum as they return home to Knoxville. Up next: a marquee SEC showdown with Auburn, led by Steven Pearl, son of former Vols head coach Bruce Pearl.
The Tigers will visit Food City Center on Saturday, Jan. 31, with tip-off set for 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
It’s a quick turnaround, and Tennessee will need to regroup fast. But on a night when the Vols escaped with a win - and some fans walked away with a bad beat - the focus now shifts to a heavyweight clash that could have big implications in the SEC race.