Tennessee Defeats Auburn in SEC Matchup

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

Feb. 1, 2026 at 3:47am

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Tennessee defeated Auburn 77-69 in a Southeastern Conference basketball matchup 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 double-digit scoring for Tennessee. Keyshawn Hall paced the Tigers with 21 points in the losing effort.

Why it matters

This SEC conference game was an important matchup between two teams looking to improve their conference standings. Tennessee's victory over Auburn extends their winning streak and keeps them in contention for a top spot in the SEC, while Auburn's loss ends their own four-game winning streak.

The details

Tennessee jumped out to an early 13-4 lead and took a 41-31 advantage into halftime. Auburn made a run to cut the deficit to 43-37 early in the second half, but Tennessee responded with a 6-0 run to push the lead back to double digits. The Volunteers were able to maintain their lead down the stretch, despite a late push from the Tigers.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 1, 2026.
  • Tennessee and Auburn will both be back in action on Tuesday, February 4, 2026, as the Volunteers host Mississippi and the Tigers entertain No. 23 Alabama.

The players

Nate Ament

A key player for the Tennessee Volunteers, Ament scored a team-high 22 points in the victory.

Jaylen Carey

Carey came off the bench to provide a scoring boost for Tennessee, contributing 13 points in the win.

Keyshawn Hall

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

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What’s next

Tennessee will look to build on this victory when they host Mississippi on Tuesday, while Auburn will try to bounce back against No. 23 Alabama, also on Tuesday.

The takeaway

This SEC matchup showcased the talent and competitiveness of both Tennessee and Auburn, with the Volunteers ultimately prevailing behind strong performances from Ament and Carey. The game highlighted the importance of conference play as teams jockey for position in the SEC standings.