Tennessee earned its 15th win of the season on Saturday, closing strong to beat Auburn 77-69.
The Vols leaned on their frontcourt again and turned in another sharp defensive effort, limiting Auburn star Keyshawn Hall and controlling key stretches late.
Here are three takeaways from Tennessee’s fifth SEC victory.
Closing with Composure
Tennessee took care of business down the stretch. With less than seven minutes left, the Vols led 59-56, then executed at a high level and pulled away to win by eight. The scoring was spread across four different players down the stretch, but Ja’Kobi Gillespie had six in the final seven minutes.
Tennessee went 5-for-9 over the closing minutes, including a stretch with four straight made field goals. All but one of those baskets came in the paint. The Vols also delivered at the free-throw line, going 8-for-9 in crunch time and finishing 25-for-31 overall. Tennessee won the free-throw line 25-14 against an Auburn team that often scores there.
Vols’ Frontcourt Flexes
Despite the absence of Felix Okpara, Tennessee’s size controlled the game again.
Three of the Vols’ first four baskets came from 3-point range, but Tennessee leaned into its advantage inside against Auburn.
Tennessee scored 34 points in the paint. The Vols shifted to their original gameplan with about 16 minutes left in the first half, when the Vols ran a high-low set, and DeWayne Brown fed J.P. Estrella for a layup. Tennessee took over from there.
Jaylen Carey set the physical edge. The junior used his 267-pound frame to move Auburn’s front line and finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. Carey helped crack Auburn’s zone, flashing to the middle and knocking down a couple of jumpers from the free-throw line.
Brown also pieced together a polished performance. The freshman finished with 10 points and found comfort in the middle of the floor. With 5:13 left in the game, Gillespie was double-teamed and found Brown at the free throw line. The forward took one dribble and went up strong for the and-one bucket that all but ended the game.
Hall Humbled
Auburn wing Keyshawn Hall entered the game averaging 20.9 points, second most in the SEC. Tennessee cut off his path to the rim and slowed Auburn’s transition chances, two areas that account for more than 43% of Hall’s offense.
While Hall finished with 21 points, He shot 7-of-17 from the field. His only field goal in the first half came with 14:45 left, a tough floater over Bishop Boswell.
Tennessee’s work on Hall showed up in the details. With less than six minutes left in the first half, Amari Evans stayed in front of Hall in isolation and forced a fadeaway that Hall airballed. It was one example of how Tennessee defended the senior for most of the night.
