Auburn basketball struggled to find its rhythm against Tennessee, despite a strong second-half effort that wasn’t enough to overcome the Volunteers’ early dominance. The game, which took place on Saturday, January 31, in Knoxville, ended with a final score of 77-69 in favor of Tennessee. This loss marked the end of Auburn’s four-game winning streak and kept the Tigers winless at Thompson-Boling Arena since 2020.

Tennessee maintained control throughout the game, never allowing Auburn to take the lead. The Volunteers’ performance was highlighted by their strong rebounding and efficient shooting. At halftime, they had a +13 rebound advantage and shot 44.5% from the field and 50% from three-point range. Despite Auburn outscoring Tennessee 38-36 in the second half, the Tigers could only narrow the gap to as close as three points.

Keyshawn Hall led Auburn with 21 points, while Nate Ament was the standout for Tennessee with 22 points, including an impressive 12-of-15 performance at the free-throw line, despite shooting just 25% from the field.

Live Score Updates

At the start of the second half, Auburn continued to stay within reach but couldn’t overtake the Volunteers. A three-pointer by Keyshawn Hall helped keep the Tigers within two possessions, making the score 65-59.

Later in the second half, Filip Jović made a key play, drawing a foul and heading to the free-throw line to bring Auburn within one possession, making it 59-55.

Auburn managed to gain some momentum in the second half, leading briefly with a 13-10 run. However, this wasn’t enough to erase the 10-point deficit from the first half. Tahaad Pettiford contributed 13 points for Auburn, the only player in double figures.

The Tigers remained within single digits for much of the second half, and Tennessee’s players, including Bishop Boswell, Ja’kobi Gillespie, JP Estrella, and Nate Ament, combined for 27 of the team’s points.

Halftime Stats

At halftime, Tennessee led 41-31. The Volunteers dominated the boards, outrebounding Auburn by 13. They also scored 16 points in the paint, with key contributors such as Nate Ament (11 points, 4 rebounds) and Jaylen Carey (11 points, 6 rebounds).

First Half Highlights

Tennessee’s physicality was evident early, as they held a +11 rebound advantage. They also assisted on 10 of their 14 made shots, showing strong ball movement. By the end of the first half, the Volunteers led 37-24.

The Volunteers continued to dominate, holding a +9 rebound margin and securing eight of Auburn’s 10 missed shots on the offensive end. The score was 31-21 in favor of Tennessee.

Despite a late push from Auburn, where they made four of their last five shots, the Tigers couldn’t close the gap. The score was 18-14 at the time.

Early in the first half, the game looked similar to Auburn’s previous matchup against Texas, where the Longhorns were hitting their shots and capitalizing on the three-point line. Tennessee was 5-for-7 from the field, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, while Auburn struggled with a 2-for-6 shooting record. The score was 13-4 in favor of the Volunteers.

Steven Pearl called a timeout after a missed three-pointer from KeShawn Murphy and a three-pointer from Ja’Kobi Gillespie. The Volunteers had already taken a 5-0 lead.

Starting Lineups

Auburn:
– G Tahaad Pettiford
– G Kevin Overton
– F Keyshawn Hall
– F Sebastian Williams-Adams
– F KeShawn Murphy

Tennessee:
– G Ja’Kobi Gillespie
– G Bishop Boswell
– F DeWayne Brown II
– F Nate Ament
– F JP Estrella

Officials:
– Joe Lindsay
– Bart Lenox
– Jeb Hartness

Game Broadcast Details

The game was broadcast on ESPN and can be streamed via Fubo. For radio listeners, the game was available on WLWI FM (92.3) in Montgomery and WGZZ FM (94.3) in Auburn. The play-by-play was handled by Andy Burcham, with analysis by Randall Dickey.

Game Time and Location

• Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
• Date: Saturday, January 31
• Location: Thompson-Boling Arena (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Historical Context

Auburn has not defeated Tennessee in Knoxville in six years. In their all-time series, the Tigers have only nine road wins against the Volunteers in 60 matchups.

Auburn’s 2025-26 Schedule

Auburn’s season started with a strong 14-7 record, including a 5-3 mark in SEC games. Some notable games include:

• Nov. 3: No. 22 Auburn 95, Bethune-Cookman 90 (OT)
• Nov. 6: No. 22 Auburn 95, Merrimack 57
• Nov. 11: No. 25 Auburn 93, Wofford 62
• Nov. 16*: No. 2 Houston 73, No. 25 Auburn 72
• Nov. 19: Auburn 112, Jackson State 66
• Nov. 24*: No. 25 Auburn 84, Oregon 73
• Nov. 25*: No. 6 Michigan 102, No. 25 Auburn 72
• Nov. 26: No. 25 Auburn 85, No. 15 St. John’s 74
• Dec. 3: No. 24 Auburn 83, North Carolina State 73
• Dec. 6: No. 3 Arizona 97, No. 24 Auburn 68
• Dec. 13*: No. 24 Auburn 92, Chattanooga 78
• Dec. 20*: No. 6 Purdue 88, No. 24 Auburn 60
• Dec. 29: Auburn 106, Queens 65
• Jan. 3: No. 24 Georgia 104, Auburn 100 (OT)
• Jan. 6: Texas A&M 90, Auburn 88
• Jan. 10: Auburn 95, No. 15 Arkansas 73
• Jan. 14: Missouri 84, Auburn 74
• Jan. 17: Auburn 71, South Carolina 67
• Jan. 20: Auburn 78 Ole Miss 66
• Jan. 24: Auburn 76, No. 16 Florida 67
• Jan. 28: Auburn 88, Texas 82
• Jan. 31: Auburn at Tennessee (7:30 p.m., ESPN)

Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at acole@gannett.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter. To support Adam’s work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.