Tennessee basketball: Ranking Vols 10 homes wins vs. top 5 Kentucky teams
![KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 24: Tennessee Volunteers players celebrate after defeating the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 24, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Kentucky 82-80. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 24: Tennessee Volunteers players celebrate after defeating the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 24, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Kentucky 82-80. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/91b06f3f178571478e06403514844465b5d5eb3265dbc246f518d39f3af5eb17.jpg)
2. March 5, 1977
What really gives these games points is a combination of thrilling finishes, a high-ranking upset and it resulting in a positive impact on the season. This one had all of those things, which is why we have it at No. 2 on our list.
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Tennessee basketball’s 1975 win over the Kentucky Wildcats launched the Bernie and Ernie show. This was the peak year for that show, two years later, and this was also the peak season for what they did as a team.
The Vols had already shocked the Wildcats at Rupp Arena earlier this year. That was their one win over a top 5 UK team in Rupp. But Kentucky made its way back to No. 2 and entered this game 23-2 overall and 15-1 in the SEC.
Meanwhile, the Vols were 20-5 and 14-2 in the SEC but coming off a loss at the Georgia Bulldogs. Given that their final game was to be at home against the Vanderbilt Commodores, they would be able to all but clinch the SEC Regular Season Championship with this win.
UK took a 47-42 lead at halftime, and Ernie Grunfeld was just not shooting well that night. As a result, Bernard King took over in the second half. While Grunfeld went 4-of-15 with 9 points, he helped King get in the right spots to score, and King delivered with an amazing 36 points. The two had double-digit rebounds as well. The result was a huge 81-79 victory.
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After beating Vanderbilt, Tennessee did indeed win the SEC regular season title. Even crazier, though, was that after sweeping Kentucky in basketball in 1977, they would lose to the Wildcats in football later that year. And Kentucky would capture a share of the football SEC title. It was just one of those odd years overall.