11:03 am | March 9, 2019 | Go to Source | Author:
Jared Harper made four straight free throws over the final 31 seconds to help Auburn clinch an 84-80 victory over No. 5 Tennessee on Saturday.
The Tigers (22-9, 11-7 SEC) collected their fourth straight win and biggest of the season in a packed Auburn Arena.
“We locked in better defensively. Our players made plays. And we couldn’t have done it outside of Auburn Arena,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said on the court after the win.
The Volunteers (27-4, 15-3) could have clinched at least a share of the SEC regular-season title with a win but now need No. 10 LSU to lose to Vanderbilt, which is winless in league play. Tennessee has never won back-to-back league crowns, and the loss ensures LSU will be the No. 1 seed for the SEC tournament.
Following the win, Bryce Brown climbed on the press row table in front of the student section after his final home game.
Chuma Okeke led Auburn with 22 points, one shy of his career high. Harper had 16 points and eight assists, with his only two 3-pointers coming back to back in the final minutes. Bryce Brown also had 16 points and made four 3s.
Grant Williams finished with 25 points and nine rebounds for the Vols. Jordan Bone had 17 and Jordan Bowden 16. Admiral Schofield scored 13 before fouling out.
The two teams shared the SEC regular-season title last year, and Auburn spent six weeks ranked in the top 10 before falling from the rankings.
Auburn relished the spoiler role this time. The Tigers need South Carolina to lose to Georgia to earn the No. 4 SEC seed and a double bye in the league tournament.
BIG PICTURE
Tennessee: A 28th victory would have tied for second-most in program history. The Vols’ four losses have come by a combined 15 points. They outrebounded Auburn 39-27.
Auburn: Finished regular season 2-5 against ranked opponents. Had perhaps its best all-around performance of the season.
UP NEXT
Tennessee gets a double bye before opening SEC tournament play in Nashville, Tennessee.
Auburn heads to Nashville hoping to improve its NCAA tournament seeding.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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