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NASHVILLE - Tennessee basketball opened the SEC Tournament on a positive note.
With a win over Auburn, the No. 5 seed Vols (22-10) advanced to the quarterfinals to face No. 4 Vanderbilt (24-7) at Bridgestone Arena on March 13 (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Here's what to know heading into the third meeting this season in the in-state rivalry:
For 30 minutes, Tennessee couldn't do anything against No. 12 seed Auburn (17-16). The Tigers, led by guard Tahaad Pettiford, clamped down on the Vols offense and even won the rebounding battle. Tennessee had 25 first-half points, 10 of which were supplied by Nate Ament.
In the final 10 minutes, Ament, returning from his two-game absence with an ankle injury, kicked the offense into gear. He led the charge on a 20-0 run that overwhelmed Auburn and even led to a technical foul on coach Steven Pearl.
Ament finished with 27 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal in his first game back since Feb. 28 against Alabama. Ja'Kobi Gillespie added 15 points, three assists and three steals.
Tennessee and Vanderbilt split their home-and-home in the regular season, and the winning team won by four points in both contests.
The Vols inched past the Commodores, 69-65, at Memorial Gymnasium on Feb. 21. Bishop Boswell and Ament made clutch shots in the closing minutes. Vanderbilt didn't score a field goal in the final 2:23.
In the regular season finale, though, Vanderbilt got revenge 86-82. Tyler Tanner kept Amari Evans and the surging Vols at bay with 25 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Evans' career-high 24-point performance kept Tennessee in the game, but the Vols couldn't string enough stops together to grab the lead.
Tennessee 70, Vanderbilt 68: Ament was the missing piece for Tennessee in its last game against Vanderbilt. He missed two games with an injury, but looked like he was back mid-season form against Auburn. The Vols will likely need another stellar performance from the freshman in another nail-biting showdown to advance to the semifinals against the winner of No. 1 Florida and No. 9 Kentucky on March 14 (1 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: [email protected]
Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee vs Vanderbilt prediction, expert picks for SEC Tournament
Continue reading...
With a win over Auburn, the No. 5 seed Vols (22-10) advanced to the quarterfinals to face No. 4 Vanderbilt (24-7) at Bridgestone Arena on March 13 (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Here's what to know heading into the third meeting this season in the in-state rivalry:
Nate Ament led Tennessee basketball in return from injury
For 30 minutes, Tennessee couldn't do anything against No. 12 seed Auburn (17-16). The Tigers, led by guard Tahaad Pettiford, clamped down on the Vols offense and even won the rebounding battle. Tennessee had 25 first-half points, 10 of which were supplied by Nate Ament.
In the final 10 minutes, Ament, returning from his two-game absence with an ankle injury, kicked the offense into gear. He led the charge on a 20-0 run that overwhelmed Auburn and even led to a technical foul on coach Steven Pearl.
Ament finished with 27 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal in his first game back since Feb. 28 against Alabama. Ja'Kobi Gillespie added 15 points, three assists and three steals.
How Tennessee split with Vanderbilt in regular season
Tennessee and Vanderbilt split their home-and-home in the regular season, and the winning team won by four points in both contests.
The Vols inched past the Commodores, 69-65, at Memorial Gymnasium on Feb. 21. Bishop Boswell and Ament made clutch shots in the closing minutes. Vanderbilt didn't score a field goal in the final 2:23.
In the regular season finale, though, Vanderbilt got revenge 86-82. Tyler Tanner kept Amari Evans and the surging Vols at bay with 25 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Evans' career-high 24-point performance kept Tennessee in the game, but the Vols couldn't string enough stops together to grab the lead.
Tennessee vs Vanderbilt prediction in SEC Tournament
Tennessee 70, Vanderbilt 68: Ament was the missing piece for Tennessee in its last game against Vanderbilt. He missed two games with an injury, but looked like he was back mid-season form against Auburn. The Vols will likely need another stellar performance from the freshman in another nail-biting showdown to advance to the semifinals against the winner of No. 1 Florida and No. 9 Kentucky on March 14 (1 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: [email protected]
Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee vs Vanderbilt prediction, expert picks for SEC Tournament
Continue reading...
