In a matchup of the SEC’s highest-ranked teams, one player made the difference as No. 11 Auburn fell at No. 4 Tennessee 92-84. Dalton Knecht, who came into the game as Tennessee’s leading scorer with 20.1 points per game, went off for 39 as the Volunteers overcame an eight-point deficit to beat the Tigers.
Auburn fell behind by nine points early in the second half but fought back to claim an eight-point lead with 12:17 to go. From then on, the Tigers were outscored 37-21, with Knecht scoring 25 points during the Volunteers’ extended run. Knecht’s 39 points tied a season-high.
The Volunteers’ 92 points were the most allowed by Auburn this season, passing the 88 scored by Baylor in the opening game. The Tigers fell to 1-3 in their last four games against Tennessee, with all three losses coming by single digits at Thompson-Boling Arena. Auburn’s 84 points were the most allowed by Tennessee at home this season.
“You score 84 points on the road, playing for a championship that ought to be enough to win,” said head coach Bruce Pearl. “Our defense definitely let us down.”
The Tigers (21-7, 10-5 SEC) shot 45.8% from the field and 40.9% from 3-point range. Seven different Tigers made a 3-pointer, with Johni Broome and Chad Baker-Mazara each making two.
The Tigers’ offense was hampered by a plethora of turnovers, particularly in the first half. Auburn turned the ball over 16 times in the game, 13 of which came in the first half or the first two minutes of the second half. Tennessee scored 18 points off turnovers in the game.
Broome led the Tigers in points, rebounds and assists. Broome scored 23 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out five assists. Baker-Mazara scored 13 points, second-most for the Tigers.
Jaylin Williams returned to the court for the Tigers and played 21 minutes in the game, scoring 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting in the game. Williams also contributed three rebounds and four assists.
Denver Jones and K.D. Johnson scored 11 and 10, respectively, to place the Tigers at five players in double figures in a balanced scoring effort.
“Johni Broome did everything he possibly could offensively and we had some pretty good balance,” Pearl said. “Again, you score 84 points in here you should be able to win…”
The Tigers’ offensive production was not enough to overcome Knecht and the Volunteers, as one of the favorites for SEC Player of the Year scored 27 after the half to put away the Tigers. The Volunteers shot 50.9% from the field and 52.9% from 3-point range.
Foul shooting was a strength for Tennessee (22-6, 12-3 SEC), especially in the first half. The Volunteers got to the free-throw line with frequency, attempting 35 foul shots and making 27, including a 14-of-15 mark in the first half.
Knecht himself was 12-of-21 from the field, 5-of-8 from behind the arc and 10-of-12 at the foul line, shooting lights out from every part of the floor. Knecht more than doubled the output of Tennessee’s second-leading scorer, Zakai Ziegler, who scored 17.
“And obviously, Dalton was terrific,” Pearl said. “And he was really hard to stop one-on-one. “He made a lot of tough shots, a lot of shots that were contested…”
Auburn’s chances at a comeback were all but ended over the final 2:53. The Tigers, down 84-80 at the time, did not score a basket from the field again, only converting four free throws as the Volunteers cemented the win. Pearl, however, was not as concerned about the Tigers’ end-of-game offense as he was about the defense.
“I mean, I didn't think our last two minutes of offense cost us the game I mean I go back and look at it,” Pearl said. “I mean, we might have taken one bad shot last two minutes of the game…”
The loss dropped Auburn out of position for a double-bye in the SEC Tournament with three games to play. The Tigers’ 10-5 conference record places them in a tie with Florida and Kentucky, with the Tigers losing to both teams.
The Tigers return to Neville Arena on Saturday when they host Mississippi State. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. CST and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
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Matthew is a senior from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2021.
Twitter: @mattwallaceAU
