Hustle, grit, determination, whatever you want to call it, that's what the Vols showed tonight. In a night where Tennessee didn't have its A game, they scratched and clawed, doing the little things to get back into this game.
Tennessee basketball emerges as one of college basketball’s most-watched teams
Credit to Georgia, they aren't known as a defensive powerhouse, but they made life tough for Tennessee. Their matchup zone gave the Vols fits, and they did a nice job contesting Tennessee's bigs in the paint. No bucket came easily for Tennessee. The Vols turned it over 12 times compared to Georgia, only fumbling it six times. It wasn't smooth, but Tennessee got it done, picking up an 86-85 overtime win on the road.
Toughness won Tennessee basketball the game over Georgia
Everything that Rick Barnes preaches about the culture of the Tennessee program was embodied in the win today. Tennessee dominated Georgia on the glass tonight. The Vols grabbed 52 rebounds, and they had a season high 26 offensive boards, leading to 24 second chancepoints. It just felt like every single time the Vols missed, they grabbed a rebound to extend the possession.
JP Estrella had 17 points and nine boards, Okpara grabbed 11 rebounds, and Bishop Boswell had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Tennessee only shot 43% from the field. It was nowhere near pretty, but the team got it done. It was a collaborative effort led by the stars and helped by the rest of the bunch.
The stars were shining
Rick Barnes was also able to lean on his stars once again. Nate Ament scored points and grabbed rebounds. His three-pointer put the Vols up five in overtime, and Tennessee never looked back. Ja'Kobi Gillespie was red hot from beyond the arc, hitting four three-pointers. He made some questionable decisions down the stretch and missed a clutch free throw, but the overall body of work was overwhelmingly positive. He was gritty all night, making winning plays.
However, both Tennessee stars need to be better down the stretch when it comes to knocking down shots at the charity stripe. The Vols missed too many free throws in big moments once again.
The Vols host Auburn at the Food City Center on Saturday night where they will look to extend the win streak to three.