Tennessee Roars Back, Kentucky Holds On in SEC Tournament Action
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The second round of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament delivered a full slate of drama Thursday, headlined by a furious second-half comeback by the No. 25 Tennessee Volunteers to defeat the Auburn Tigers, 72-62. Trailing by as many as 11 points and down 49-39 with under 11 minutes remaining, the fifth-seeded Volunteers unleashed a stunning 22-2 run to seize control of the game and secure a spot in the quarterfinals. Freshman Nate Ament was the catalyst, scoring 10 straight points to start the rally and finishing with a game-high 27 points. The decisive run gave the Vols a 61-51 lead, a margin they would not relinquish. Ja'Kobi Gillespie added 15 points for Tennessee, which now advances to face No. 22 Vanderbilt on Friday.
In the day's other nail-biter, the Kentucky Wildcats withstood a furious rally from the Missouri Tigers to win 78-72. Kentucky built a 16-point lead in the second half before Missouri stormed back, eventually taking a brief lead late in the game. But the Wildcats steadied themselves in the final minutes to secure the victory and advance. Otega Oweh led Kentucky with 21 points, while Denzel Aberdeen scored 16, including crucial points in the final minutes. Mark Mitchell paced Missouri with a game-high 32 points. With the win, Kentucky (21-12) moves on to face the top-seeded Florida Gators in Friday's quarterfinals.
QUICK HITS
- Gators' Secret Weapon: As the Florida Gators prepare for their SEC Tournament opener against Kentucky, they'll lean on newly-minted SEC Sixth Man of the Year Urban Klavzar. The junior guard has been lethal during the Gators' 11-game winning streak, shooting an incredible 49.1% (27-for-55) from 3-point range. Klavzar is averaging 9.9 points for the season.
- SEC Baseball Season Kicks Off: Conference play begins on the diamond this weekend with ranked matchups across the league. No. 22 Texas A&M travels to Norman for a three-game series against No. 9 Oklahoma, starting Friday at 6:30 p.m. Meanwhile, No. 5 Auburn will be at Missouri to take on a Tigers team riding a 13-game winning streak.
- Crimson Tide Awaits Opponent: The No. 15 Alabama Crimson Tide will begin their postseason journey on Friday in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. As the No. 2 seed, Alabama earned a double-bye and will face the winner of the second-round matchup between Georgia and the Texas/Ole Miss winner.
- A&M Tennis Faces Top-10 Gauntlet: The No. 11 Texas A&M men's tennis team is in the midst of a brutal road trip. The Aggies will face No. 3 Texas in Austin on Friday before heading to Baton Rouge to take on No. 6 LSU on Sunday.
PORTAL WATCH
There has been no new transfer portal activity reported across the SEC in the last 12 hours. Teams remain focused on the conclusion of their winter sports seasons.
RECRUITING BUZZ
No new football or basketball commitments were announced for SEC programs today.
GAMES TO WATCH
Men's Basketball (SEC Tournament Quarterfinals) - Friday, March 13:
- No. 1 Florida vs. No. 9 Kentucky (1 p.m. ET, ESPN)
- No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. No. 5 Tennessee
- No. 2 Alabama vs. TBD (7 p.m. ET)
- No. 3 Arkansas vs. TBD
Baseball - Friday, March 13: