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SEC Tournament semifinal between Auburn and Tennessee had fans in awe
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
The SEC Tournament semifinal between Auburn and Tennessee went down to the wire, but the Volunteers ultimately prevailed, 70-65, in a barnburner to advance to the championship game.
That game wasn’t without its drama as the Vols led by 12, 62-50, with just under 7 minutes remaining. But the Tigers chipped away at the deficit and pulled within 68-65 with 1:16 left in regulation.
A critical call down the stretch (and the correct one, at that) switched possession to Tennessee after it had incorrectly been called on making contact with a ball that went out of bounds. (It came not long after a questionable foul call against the Vols that Jay Bilas ripped on-air.) After the out-of-bounds call was reversed, Jahmai Mashack made a pair of clutch free throws to seal the win.
Free throws were a big reason behind the Vols’ victory: they were sent to the line 27 times and missed just twice. Zakai Zeigler was 9-for-9 from the stripe, finishing with 20 points on 5-from-11 shooting from the floor.
It might not be the last time these 2 teams face each other, as Joe Lunardi’s latest bracket projections had them on opposite sides of the bracket. Could this be a Final Four matchup?
Here’s reaction to what turned out to be a thrilling game:
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
