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Tennessee basketball’s top 10 shots in history

By Caleb Calhoun

COLUMBIA, MISSOURI - JANUARY 08: Lamonte Turner #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers in action against the Missouri Tigers at Mizzou Arena on January 08, 2019 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI - JANUARY 08: Lamonte Turner #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers in action against the Missouri Tigers at Mizzou Arena on January 08, 2019 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /
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5. Chris Lofton shot over Kevin Durant

2006 vs. Texas

After Dane Bradshaw’s epic tip-in to beat the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Chris Lofton hit one of the most legendary shots in Tennessee basketball history later that same week. It wasn’t a game-winner, but it had every other element. UT was 9-2 and playing the Texas Longhorns, ironically led by Rick Barnes. Texas was 8-2, and like the Vols, they were very young with only one senior.

Texas also had this guy named Kevin Durant on the team, and it was clear that the winner of this game would return to the top 25 the following Monday. After beating the Longhorns by nearly 20 on Texas the year before, Barnes’ team had revenge on its mind, and Texas built a 15-point halftime lead that extended to 17 points in the second half.

That’s when Chris Lofton came alive. With only eight points at that moment, he scored 20 in the second half. His final six points were back to back threes to turn an 87-82 deficit into an 88-87 lead. The final three is the shot we’re naming.

With less than 20 seconds to go, Durant switched on Lofton. From 30 feet out, he dropped off the future NBA superstar who had a foot advantage on him. That gave the Vols their first lead since early in the first half.

Although Texas would recover enough to send the game into overtime, Lofton’s shot gave the Vols all the momentum. They dominated the overtime to win in thrilling fashion, and Lofton finished with 35 points. The story, however, was that shot, and it still lives in Vol lore. Today, it adds to the example of Bruce Pearl owning Barnes, although UT is on the losing side of that now.

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