The Tennessee Volunteers just keep rolling. Saturday night brought another gritty win, this time a 77-69 victory over Auburn - and yes, that’s the same Auburn coached by Steven Pearl, a former Vol himself and the son of ex-Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl.
But sentimentality had no place on the court in Knoxville. This was a classic SEC slugfest, and the Vols came out swinging.
Rick Barnes knew what kind of battle this would be. He’s been around this league long enough to know that SEC games often come down to a single possession - and this one nearly did.
“Each game takes on its own personality,” Barnes said before tipoff. “About every four games in this league is decided by a bucket.”
That kind of parity makes every win feel like a playoff game, and Tennessee played like it.
The Vols came out firing, setting the tone early and forcing Auburn to burn a timeout less than two minutes in. That opening stretch wasn’t just about energy - it was about execution.
Tennessee dominated the glass from the jump, picking up right where they left off against Georgia earlier in the week. Second-chance points, hustle plays, and physicality in the paint gave them an early edge.
But Auburn didn’t fold. The Tigers clawed their way back throughout the game, never letting Tennessee run away with it.
Even in the final minute, Auburn had trimmed the lead to two possessions, thanks in part to some wild four-point plays - yes, plural - that kept the pressure on. The Tigers matched Tennessee’s toughness in the second half and started hitting from deep, but they couldn’t fully erase the deficit.
One of the biggest storylines of the night? Tennessee’s frontcourt stepping up in a big way without Felix Okpara, who was sidelined with a calf injury. That could’ve been a major blow - Okpara’s presence in the paint has been huge all year - but the Vols didn’t miss a beat.
Jaylen Carey came off the bench and delivered 13 crucial points, especially after JP Estrella found himself in early foul trouble. Carey’s minutes were meaningful, not just in terms of scoring but in helping Tennessee maintain its physical presence inside.
And then there was Ament, who didn’t have his cleanest shooting night but still found a way to pour in 22 points. He was relentless in isolation, attacking the rim with confidence and drawing contact. He lived at the free-throw line, going 12-for-15 from the stripe - and that aggression made a real difference.
Speaking of free throws, let’s talk about them. Tennessee’s struggles at the line have been a recurring theme this season, but not on this night.
The Vols went 25-of-31 from the charity stripe, good for just over 80%. That’s not just solid - that’s winning basketball, especially against an Auburn team that typically thrives on drawing fouls and flipping games at the line.
In a matchup that demanded toughness, Tennessee showed up in all the right ways: they defended, they rebounded, and they knocked down their free throws. That’s the formula. And if they keep sticking to it, this team is going to be a problem for anyone in the SEC.
Next up? Ole Miss comes to town on Tuesday night. The streak is alive, and the Vols are starting to look like a team that’s figuring out how to win in multiple ways - even when the rotation gets shaken up.