Tennessee Basketball's Role Players Shine in Win at Vanderbilt

Bench players provide key contributions to help Vols secure road victory

Feb. 22, 2026 at 3:43pm

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Tennessee basketball's role players stepped up in a big way to lead the Vols to a 69-64 road win over Vanderbilt on Saturday. With key contributors JP Estrella and Nate Ament struggling, players like DeWayne Brown, Amari Evans, and Ethan Burg provided energy, defense, and timely scoring off the bench to propel Tennessee to victory.

Why it matters

Tennessee's ability to get production from its bench players was crucial in this game, as the Vols were missing one of their top players in Estrella. The strong performances from the role players showed the team's depth and versatility, which will be important as they continue their conference play and push for a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The details

DeWayne Brown scored 8 second-half points and provided a defensive presence in the paint, Amari Evans made key plays down the stretch including a late free throw, and Ethan Burg brought energy and intensity on both ends of the floor. Even Bishop Boswell, who has a more defined role, stepped up with some crucial baskets to help Tennessee rally. The Vols' bench outperformed Vanderbilt's reserves, which proved to be the difference in the close road win.

  • Tennessee secured the 69-64 victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon in Nashville.

The players

DeWayne Brown

A freshman forward who scored 8 points in the second half and provided a defensive presence in the paint for Tennessee.

Amari Evans

A freshman who played key minutes, made a tough layup late, and grabbed a crucial rebound to help seal the win for the Vols.

Ethan Burg

A first-year sophomore who brought energy and intensity on both ends of the floor, including a steal and a driving layup, to spark Tennessee during a crucial stretch.

Bishop Boswell

A player with a more defined role who stepped up with some crucial baskets down the stretch to help the Vols rally and secure the victory.

Rick Barnes

The head coach of the Tennessee Vols, who praised the contributions of his bench players in the win.

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What they’re saying

“I thought our second line was really good today. The guys coming off the bench, we got a lot of good on both ends of the court. Both ends, those guys were really helpful to us. … Those guys were the key to the game today. They really were.”

— Rick Barnes, Tennessee Head Coach

“DeWayne's good. The more he's out there, the better he's going to be. And again, he's been the biggest surprise on this team this year. … Really knows how to play. Great hands, sees the floor and the more he's in the game, the more he gets a great feel for it.”

— Rick Barnes, Tennessee Head Coach

“Amari is not afraid of the moment. He really isn't. And after getting out to a pretty good start, and he hit the wall a little bit, but he's bounced back the last couple of weeks and has a great future. He really does. We're excited about him and certainly glad that he's wearing our uniform.”

— Rick Barnes, Tennessee Head Coach

“I think the biggest this was just his intensity on defense and him being able to stay in front of the ball, cause some turnovers and the energy he brings really picked us up.”

— Bishop Boswell, Tennessee Player

“At the end of the day, it just came down to guarding your guy and the effort plays. I feel like that's why we were able to come out with it.”

— DeWayne Brown, Tennessee Player

What’s next

Tennessee will look to build on this road win as they continue their SEC schedule. Their next game is at home against Florida on February 25th.

The takeaway

Tennessee's ability to get key contributions from their bench players was crucial in securing this road victory over Vanderbilt. The Vols' depth and versatility will be an asset as they push for a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.