It happened again. Just when you thought the Tennessee Volunteers had finally figured out how to lock down Thompson-Boling Arena, the Kentucky Wildcats walked into Knoxville and snatched a victory that felt almost impossible halfway through.
If you’re looking for the final score of the Tennessee game, the number is 80-78. Kentucky wins. Again.
Honestly, the score alone doesn't tell the story of how weird and frustrating this one was for Rick Barnes and the Vols. This wasn't a back-and-forth grind. It was a tale of two completely different sports being played in the same building. Tennessee looked like a Final Four contender for 20 minutes and a high school JV squad for the other 20.
The First Half: Tennessee Dominance
Everything started exactly how the Knoxville faithful wanted. The energy at Food City Center was electric, and for a good reason. Tennessee came out swinging. They built a 17-point lead late in the first half. 17 points!
At one point, the Vols went on an 11-0 run that made it look like the Wildcats hadn't even practiced all week. Senior guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie was absolutely cooking. He finished the game with 24 points, but in that first half, he was the only reason the stadium felt like it might actually explode. Tennessee went into the locker room up 42-31, and honestly, it felt like it should’ve been more.
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Kentucky was struggling. They went through a seven-minute field goal drought. You don't see that often from a Mark Pope-coached team. But as the saying goes, it’s a game of runs.
The Collapse: How the Final Score of the Tennessee Game Flipped
The second half was a disaster for the orange and white. There’s really no other way to put it. Kentucky, who has earned the nickname "The Comeback Cats" this season, did exactly what they did earlier in the week against LSU. They chipped away.
Denzel Aberdeen turned into a human torch for UK, scoring 18 of his 22 points in the final period.
But the real heartbreak for Tennessee fans happened in the final minute.
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The Final 60 Seconds
- 50.3 seconds left: Otega Oweh gets fouled, hits one of two free throws. Tennessee leads 77-76.
- 34.3 seconds left: Collin Chandler steals a lazy Tennessee pass and finds Oweh for a fast-break layup. Kentucky takes its first lead of the game.
- 16 seconds left: After a missed free throw and an offensive rebound by Mouhamed Dioubate, Aberdeen scores again. The lead is 80-77.
Tennessee had one last gasp. Gillespie got fouled with 2.6 seconds left. He made the first. He intentionally missed the second, hoping for a miracle putback. The Vols actually got the rebound, but Malachi Moreno swatted Jaylen Carry’s shot as the buzzer sounded.
Final: 80-78.
Key Stats and Why It Matters
If you're wondering how a team loses a 17-point lead, look at the three-point line. Kentucky hit 11 shots from deep. Tennessee, despite having a massive 10-0 advantage in offensive rebounds in the first half, couldn't buy a bucket when the pressure turned up.
The Vols are now 12-6 overall and 2-3 in the SEC. That’s a precarious spot to be in mid-January.
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For Kentucky, this is their sixth win in their last seven trips to Knoxville. It’s becoming a weird mental block for Tennessee. Mark Pope is now 2-0 at Thompson-Boling, a feat that legendary UK coaches of the past struggled to achieve.
What’s Next for the Vols?
Tennessee doesn't have much time to pout. They’ve got a brutal trip to Tuscaloosa on January 24th to face Alabama. If they can't figure out how to close out games against elite competition, the SEC standings are going to get very ugly, very fast.
Next Steps for Vols Fans:
Keep an eye on the injury report for any lingering issues with Gillespie’s heavy minutes, and check the SEC bracketology updates. Tennessee likely drops out of the top 25 after this one. You’ll want to watch the Alabama game closely to see if Rick Barnes adjusts his late-game rotation, especially regarding how they handle high-pressure ball-handling situations that led to those late turnovers today.