FINAL: Tennessee Beats Auburn, Redeems Florida Loss

The Tennessee Volunteers have beaten Auburn and notched another SEC win.

Auburn was always going to come out firing. Tennessee was coming off a difficult loss to Florida, meaning if the Tigers captured the upper hand, it would be difficult for Tennessee to get back into the game.

The Tigers did that through the first ten minutes of play. Head coach Bruce Pearl had his squad close off the perimeter, forcing Tennessee to take it to the basket, where they often came up empty.

However, the Volunteers had been in this spot before. They struggled in the first half against Mississippi State in the first half after losing to Kentucky, but a late first-half run propelled them forward.

That formula was relatively similar against Auburn. Head coach Rick Barnes had his guys stay the course and remain competitive, which will ultimately work if you can stay on the same page.

There wasn't one superstar contributor that powered the orange and white to victory. It was a rotating cast of familiar contributors that aren't making national headlines but are making winning basketball plays.

Barnes and this coaching staff value that above all else, and it's why they are one of the most formidable teams heading into the stretch run.

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