Tennessee basketball survives a late-game push by Auburn to secure a 70-65 win in the SEC Tournament semifinals to earn a spot in the championship game.
Zakai Zeigler once again did everything for the Vols. Whether Tennessee wins the championship game on Sunday or not, Zeigler deserves SEC Tournament MVP with his efforts in Tennessee's first two games of the conference tournament.
He finished the game with 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, and at least a dozen plays that won't show up in the stat sheet that impacted the game.
The SEC Defensive Player of the Year showed up for the Vols on both ends of the court, impacting the game and being a significant reason why the Vols defeated the No. 1 team in the SEC and the country.
Jordan Gainey and Chaz Lanier also showed up throughout the game. Lanier started the game hot, scoring eight points in the first few minutes of the game, but cooled off and finished with only 12 points on the night, while Gainey finished the game with 15 points.
Tennessee's free throw shooting gave them the upper hand in this game, while Auburn struggled from the stripe all game. The Vols shot 25-of-27 from the free throw line at 92.7%, while Auburn only made 13-of-22 at 59.1%.
Auburn made a run to end Tennessee's hopes of an upset after a couple of runs by the Vols and Zeigler. Tennessee faced foul trouble late in the second half and struggled on the offensive end of the court, keeping the Tigers in the game.
In the final minutes, the Vols made enough plays to earn the win and hold off Auburn, earning a spot in the SEC Championship and staying alive for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
This win proves Tennessee has what it takes to win it all this year and be the best team in the country. The Vols have shown they can contend and beat the best teams in the country, but they haven't done it consistently this year.
That could change with this new-look Tennessee team in March. They have brought toughness, physicality, and full court effort in every game since the calendar turned to March. If they can continue to bring that, the Vols could be competing for a Final Four and national title this year.
The physical win earned Tennessee a spot in the SEC Tournament Championship Game. The Vols will face the winner of the Alabama-Florida game, which will take place Saturday afternoon following Tennessee's win. The game will tip off at 1:00 PM ET on Sunday afternoon.