Kentucky Stuns Tennessee with Late Surge, Steals 80-78 Win in Knoxville
For nearly 39 minutes, Tennessee looked like the better team. They led wire to wire, built a 17-point cushion, and had the home crowd at Food City Center rocking.
But basketball isn’t about how you start-it's about how you finish. And Kentucky finished strong.
The Wildcats erased a double-digit deficit in the second half and took their first lead of the game with just 34 seconds left, ultimately escaping Knoxville with a thrilling 80-78 victory. It was a gut punch for the Vols, who controlled the tempo for most of the afternoon but couldn’t close the door when it mattered most.
Vols Come Out Firing
Tennessee wasted no time setting the tone. Jakobi Gillespie got the scoring started with a deep three, then added a free throw to give the Vols an early 4-0 edge. Bishop Boswell followed with another triple, and before Kentucky could settle in, Tennessee had a 7-2 lead.
The Vols were sharp early-moving the ball, hitting shots, and playing with confidence. Gillespie was in rhythm from the jump, knocking down his second three of the game to answer a Kentucky run. Jaylen Carey added a layup, and Amari Evans joined the party with a three of his own, pushing the lead to double digits just five minutes in.
Kentucky showed some signs of life with a 5-0 burst, but Tennessee kept answering. Felix Okpara threw down a dunk, Gillespie hit a smooth jumper, and Nate Ament started making his presence felt with a pair of free throws. JP Estrella chipped in with back-to-back buckets, and by the under-8 timeout, Tennessee was up 11.
The Vols weren’t just scoring-they were doing it efficiently. Gillespie hit his third three of the half and added two more at the line, stretching the lead to 16.
Even when Kentucky mounted a 7-0 run late in the half, Ament stopped the bleeding with a free throw to send Tennessee into the locker room with a 42-31 lead. Gillespie led all scorers at the break with 14 points.
Kentucky Flips the Script
But the second half was a different story.
Kentucky came out of halftime with a sense of urgency-and it showed. The Wildcats hit back-to-back threes, followed by back-to-back layups, slicing the Vols’ lead down to six.
Tennessee, meanwhile, went cold. A three-minute scoring drought let Kentucky right back into the game.
DeWayne Brown finally ended the dry spell with a layup, but the momentum had shifted. Kentucky kept coming, using a 7-2 spurt to pull within four. Ament tried to steady the ship with his first three of the game, momentarily pushing the lead back to seven, but Kentucky responded immediately with another triple.
The Wildcats had all the answers down the stretch. After cutting the lead to two, Ament converted a tough and-one to give the Vols a five-point cushion with seven minutes to play. But again, Kentucky refused to go away.
With 1:20 left, the Vols were clinging to a one-point lead. Then came the dagger.
Otega Oweh drove hard to the rim and finished through contact, giving Kentucky its first lead of the game with just 34 seconds remaining. Denzel Aberdeen followed with another layup 17 seconds later, pushing the lead to three.
Tennessee had one last chance. Gillespie was fouled and hit the first free throw.
He missed the second on purpose, hoping for a tip-in or a scramble bucket. But the Vols couldn’t capitalize, and just like that, a game they had controlled for 38 minutes slipped away.
Final Takeaways
Jakobi Gillespie was outstanding, finishing with a game-high 24 points, and Nate Ament added 17. But Tennessee’s offense lacked balance-only two Vols reached double figures, while Kentucky had four players hit that mark, led by Denzel Aberdeen’s 22.
Tennessee had the game in its hands. They dictated pace, shot well early, and got strong performances from their top guys. But a cold second half, some timely Kentucky shooting, and a few costly defensive lapses flipped the script.
It’s a tough loss for a Tennessee squad that looked poised to notch a statement win. Instead, it’s Kentucky walking out of Knoxville with a comeback victory that could carry major momentum into the heart of SEC play.