No. 25 Tennessee fell to Kentucky by a score of 74-71 on Saturday night in Lexington. Tennessee scored 47 points in the first half compared to Kentucky’s 33 points, but the Wildcats outscored the Vols 41-24 in the second half to win the game. Tennessee has now been swept by Kentucky in the regular season for a second straight year.
The term can often be cliché, but it really was a tale of two halves for the Vols. Tennessee freshman Nate Ament and senior Ja’Kobi Gillespie combined for 33 points in the first half on 12-of-20 shooting but only had 11 points in the second half on 3-of-12 shooting. Gillespie did not hit a field goal and ended with just one point in the final 20 minutes. Tennessee also struggled to score in the paint on Saturday night, with Kentucky outscoring it in that area by 20 points.
Tennessee’s last loss to Kentucky turned into a four-game win streak. We’ll see how the team responds to this one over the next few weeks. The Vols will stay on the road for a midweek game at Mississippi State next Wednesday night.
After the game, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes, Nate Ament, and Bishop Boswell met with the media to share their reactions to the loss.
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Check out all three postgame interviews below:
Tennessee HC Rick Barnes
Tennessee F Nate Ament
Tennessee G Bishop Boswell
