Tennessee Defeats Auburn in SEC Matchup

Ament and Carey lead Volunteers to 77-69 victory over Tigers

Feb. 1, 2026 at 2:47am

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In a Southeastern Conference matchup, the Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Auburn Tigers 77-69 on Saturday night. Nate Ament led the Volunteers with 22 points, while Jaylen Carey came off the bench to score 13 points. Ja'Kobi Gillespie and DeWayne Brown II also contributed to the Volunteers' victory with 11 and 10 points respectively. Keyshawn Hall scored 21 points for the Tigers, whose four-game winning streak was snapped.

Why it matters

This win helps strengthen Tennessee's position in the SEC standings, as they improve to 15-6 overall and 5-3 in conference play. For Auburn, the loss drops them to 14-8 on the season and 5-4 in SEC competition, ending their recent hot streak.

The details

Tennessee jumped out to an early 13-4 lead and took a 41-31 advantage into halftime. Auburn made a push in the second half, cutting the deficit to 53-49 with 11 minutes remaining, but the Volunteers were able to hold on for the 77-69 victory. Ament and Carey combined for 35 points for Tennessee, while Hall led all scorers with 21 points for Auburn.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 1, 2026.

The players

Nate Ament

A key player for the Tennessee Volunteers, Ament scored 22 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in the win.

Jaylen Carey

Carey came off the bench to score 13 points and grab 8 rebounds for the Volunteers.

Keyshawn Hall

Hall led the Auburn Tigers with 21 points in the losing effort.

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What they’re saying

“We knew Auburn would make a run in the second half, but our guys stayed composed and made the plays we needed to get the win.”

— Rick Barnes, Tennessee Head Coach

What’s next

Tennessee will host Mississippi on Tuesday, while Auburn will welcome No. 23 Alabama to their home court on the same day.

The takeaway

This victory keeps Tennessee in the hunt for a top spot in the SEC standings, while Auburn's four-game winning streak comes to an end. Both teams will look to build momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season.