Tennessee Basketball 'Punked' Auburn Inside, Says Coach Pearl

Tennessee out-rebounded Auburn 46-30 and scored 34 points in the paint in the 77-69 win.

Feb. 1, 2026 at 11:31am

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In his postgame press conference, Auburn head coach Steven Pearl admitted that Tennessee basketball "punked" the Tigers inside during their 77-69 loss on Saturday. The Vols out-rebounded Auburn 46-30, including a 17-12 advantage on the offensive glass, and scored 34 points in the paint while making just one 3-pointer in the final 35 minutes of the game.

Why it matters

This game highlighted Tennessee's physical dominance inside, which has been a key part of their success this season. With their roster construction, the Vols need to rely on their frontcourt to control the paint and the boards in order to win, rather than trying to outscore opponents with 3-pointers.

The details

Tennessee's trio of Jaylen Carey, JP Estrella and DeWayne Brown combined for 31 points, taking advantage of Auburn's inability to match their physicality. Wings Bishop Boswell and Amari Evans also made key hustle plays, grabbing four offensive rebounds each. In contrast, Auburn's normally strong offensive rebounding was limited to just a 29% rate, well below their season average.

  • Tennessee defeated Auburn 77-69 on Saturday, February 1, 2026.

The players

Steven Pearl

The first-year head coach of the Auburn men's basketball team.

Jaylen Carey

A Tennessee basketball player who contributed 31 points in the win over Auburn.

Bishop Boswell

A Tennessee basketball player who grabbed 4 offensive rebounds in the game.

Amari Evans

A Tennessee basketball player who grabbed 4 offensive rebounds in the game.

DeWayne Brown

A Tennessee basketball player who contributed to the team's dominance in the paint.

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What they’re saying

“Credit Tennessee. They beat us at our own game. They pushed us around, punked us. They got to the foul line 11 more times than we did, did a really good job with attacking the paint. … They just out physical'd us and kind of had their way.”

— Steven Pearl, Auburn Head Coach

What’s next

Tennessee has an opportunity to continue their physical dominance inside when they host Ole Miss on Tuesday night. Ole Miss is the SEC's second-worst rebounding team, so the Vols will look to control the paint and boards again.

The takeaway

Tennessee's frontcourt-focused approach has proven effective, as they were able to physically overwhelm Auburn in the paint and on the boards. This game highlighted the Vols' need to rely on their interior presence rather than perimeter shooting to win games, given their current roster construction.