NASHVILLE, Tn. — Jaylen Carey screamed in celebration at the Voice of the Vols Mike Keith. Auburn head coach Steven Pearl had just called his second timeout in 2:01 as Tennessee scored its 15th straight point in what ended up being a 20-0 run.
A Tennessee team that struggled to create any run for 30 minutes exploded for a massive second half run to earn a 72-62 victory over the Tigers and to advance to the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals. Here’s three quick takeaways.
Nate Ament Made A Statement In His Return
Nate Ament returned to the starting lineup in his first game since suffering a right leg injury against Alabama 12 days ago. He promptly got back in a rhythm, shaking free for a dunk on Tennessee’s first possession before hitting a triple on its third.
Tennessee said that Ament would be a bit limited in terms of his minutes but that was not really the case. Ament played 32 minutes and looked good moving around.
With the Vols struggling to hold steady in the second half, Ament took over. He scored 10 straight points for Tennessee in a 2:07 stretch. When a Felix Okpara block turned into a Ja’Kobi Gillespie transition layup
The 6-foot-10 wing totaled 27 points on seven-for-15 shooting while adding eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks in his return to the court. There’s no chance that Tennessee would have won without him.
The Vols’ Defense Was Elite During The 20-0 Run
Tennessee’s defense has not been as good in the second half as it has been in the first half over the last few weeks. But against Auburn, the Vols’ defense showed up in a major way during the second half comeback.
The Tigers went 6:36 without scoring in the second half during Tennessee’s 20-0 run. Auburn turned it over four times in the stretch including a shot clock violation and a Ja’Kobi Gillespie steal where the guard went coast-to-coast for a basket.
Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford had torched Tennessee in the first 30 minutes, but the Vols forced it out of his hands and did not let him take a single field goal attempt during that stretch. There was some fortunate shooting luck, including Keyshawn Hall missing the front end of the bonus, but there’s no question that Tennessee’s defense was stout during the stretch.
In the second half, Auburn scored just 30 points on 10-for-31 shooting from the field while turning the ball over seven times.
More From RTI: Tennessee Star Nate Ament Set To Return From Injury Against Auburn In Limited Role
Auburn Built A Lead By Beating Tennessee At Its Own Game
It was not overly surprising given Auburn was fighting for its NCAA Tournament life, but the Tigers simply played with greater effort and intensity.
Tennessee makes its hay by dominating on the glass but Auburn took that matchup personally and not only held its own but controlled that area against the Vols. The Tigers earned a 21-15 advantage on the glass in the first half including a 7-4 advantage on the offensive end.
For the game, Auburn earned a slight 40-39 rebounding advantage including 16-10 on the offensive end.
Then there was Auburn’s dominance with loose balls. The Tigers won the 50-50 balls at a very high clip in the first 30 minutes of the game. That rebounding advantage is how Auburn built a double-digit second half lead.
Final Stats
Up Next
Tennessee basketball advances to Friday quarterfinals where they will face rival Vanderbilt for the third time in 20 days. Tipoff between the Vols and Commodores is at approximately 3:30 p.m. ET from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The SEC Network is broadcasting the game.
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