NASHVILLE – The Tennessee basketball team defeated No. 18 Vanderbilt on the road for a statement win against an SEC ranked opponent.
The Vols (20-7, 10-4) were forced to play a physical game, but they left Memorial Coliseum with a 69-65 win over Vanderbilt (21-6, 8-6) on Feb. 21. Tennessee trailed 10 minutes into the second half but battled with the Commodores until the final minute.
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Both teams shot just over 40% from the field, but Tennessee found a way to score in the final minute.
Bishop Boswell and Nate Ament hit some tough baskets in the final seconds to give the Vols the lead, while Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Amari Evans sealed the game with free throws.
Vanderbilt went without a field goal in the final 2 minutes and 25 seconds.
Tennessee’s Ethan Berg, Dwayne Brown II backup
Ethan Berg and Dwayne Brown II may have solidified their spots in the Vols’ rotation. They were key in helping the Vols overcome a seven-point second-half deficit that could easily have swung further in the Commodores’ favor.
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Berg drove to the basket to tie the score at 51-51, then drew an offensive foul and stole the ball, forcing two Vanderbilt turnovers.
More: How Amari Evans won for Tennessee without shooting
Brown kept the Vols inside while Felix Okpala sat out with four fouls. The freshman started in the second half and played 30 minutes, scoring 8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block and 1 steal.
Despite early shooting struggles, Nate Ament holds down key
Among the many freshmen, Nate Ament has become the most noteworthy prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft. He has scored 20 or more points in seven of Tennessee’s last 10 games, surpassing Ja’Kobi Gillespie as the Vols’ leading scorer.
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That productive Ament ran into trouble against Vanderbilt. In the first 30 minutes, he made 1 of 7 shots and only scored 4 points. The freshman still had physical issues at the end of the game, but he hit a key shot with 54 seconds left to put the Vols ahead 66-65. He ended up with 13 points.
Even without J.P. Estrella, Vols dominate rebounding battle
J.P. Estrella missed his second straight game with a left foot injury. Even in his absence, the Vols won the glass on both ends of the floor. Tennessee outrebounded Vanderbilt 39-30 and grabbed 6 offensive rebounds and scored 6 second-chance points.
While Amonte didn’t have his typical success shooting the ball, he led the Vols with nine rebounds. Jaylen Carey grabbed seven rebounds, and Okpala and Boswell had four rebounds each.
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Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. e-mail: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared in the Knoxville News-Sentinel: Tennessee basketball good enough to pull off tough win at Vanderbilt