Tennessee basketball 2019-2020 season recap: Vols five most painful losses

2. At No. 13 Auburn Tigers

Tennessee loses 73-66

Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020

A loss to a team that is better than you is one thing. Tennessee basketball got blown out by the Auburn Tigers in the final regular season game. But losing in a way where you let a clear win slip away is a different story.

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That was the case here. One week after losing to the South Carolina Gamecocks, the Vols knew they would have to steal a road win down the stretch to stay in the NCAA Tournament conversation. After holding off the Vanderbilt Commodores the previous Wednesday, they appeared to have found their chance.

UT managed to build a 17-point lead in the second half at Auburn. Jordan Bowden, who had been in a slump, found his stroke and scored 24 points during that run. However, whether it was Rick Barnes’ fault or Bowden’s fault, he just stopped being aggressive.

Either way, Bruce Pearl’s team went on an 18-0 run. In that run, Bowden did not take one shot. How did that happen? Either way, Auburn turned a 54-37 into a 55-54 deficit. Still, in a back and forth game, the Vols tied it up at 64 in the final two minutes. But again, their late-game collapses continued, and Auburn became unstoppable on offense, winning 73-66.

Bowden finished with 28 points, six assists and four rebounds, and he shot nine-of-12 from the field and three-of-four from the three-point line while hitting all seven free throws. But his lack of aggression during that 18-0 run proved costly, and it’s why the Vols blew a great chance at a quality win, continuing the perception that Pearl owns Barnes.