Tennessee Basketball Defeats Georgia After Wild Ending in Overtime

The Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 86-85 in overtime following a thrilling game that concluding with one of the craziest finishes of the season.

Jan 28, 2026; Athens, Georgia, USA; Tennessee Volunteers center Felix Okpara (34) controls the ball behind Georgia Bulldogs forward Justin Abson (25) during the first half at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Tennessee basketball faced off against the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens on Wednesday night after the game was postponed from Tuesday.

The Volunteers' head coach, Rick Barnes, and UGA head coach Mike White have had their fair share of battles over the years. They both joined the SEC in the same year (2015-2016 season), and since they have both shone as coaches. However, going into this matchup, White had been 0-3 versus Barnes since taking the Bulldogs job in 2022. 

The Volunteers ran it back with the same starting five as they did versus Alabama, which included J.P Estrella, who made his first start versus the Crimson Tide.

Tennessee Wins After Crazy Ending

Tennessee coach Rick Barnes argues with the referee during a NCAA basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tenn., on Jan. 17, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The first half was not great for Tennessee; they struggled to shoot, shooting just 31% from the field and 18% from three, but they out-rebounded Georgia 35-25 in the first half, so they were only down six at the half. Despite it being just his second start, Estrella was one of the few bright spots for the Vols with six points and five rebounds at the half.

Tennessee looked a lot better in the second half, with them and Georgia going back-and-forth for most of the second half. 

With under a minute left, a controversy arose. Tennessee led UGA 73-72 and had possession. Ja’Kobi Gillespie fired up a tough three as the shot clock expired, which missed, but UGA sophomore Somto Cyril shoved Tennessee’s Felix Okpara with his shoulder, and coach Barnes appealed for a foul; however, the challenge was unsuccessful. 

Gillespie made up for the shot on the next possession as he locked down UGA’s Jordan Ross, who missed a potential go-ahead shot with under 20 seconds left. 

After Gillespie went ½ from the free-throw line, UGA’s Marcus Millinder went down and hit the game-tying layup with 3.6 seconds left, and Gillespie would miss the potential game-winning floater on the other side, so the game entered overtime.

In overtime, the great game continued with Tennessee taking and holding onto the lead throughout. Georgia’s Kanon Catchings had a chance to tie the game, down 83-80 with 25 seconds left, but missed the attempt. In spite of this, Tennessee missed a few free throws, and UGA knocked down a triple, which gave UGA a chance to tie the game with 15  seconds remaining. 

Tennessee played very well on that possession, but eventually UGA’s Millender, who hit the game-tying layup in regulation, made the mistake of not checking the clock as he took a layup with less than one second remaining despite needing a three. 

The Vols would win 86-85 and move to 14-6 on the season and 4-3 in SEC play. This win marked the first time this season that Tennessee won two SEC games in a row. 

Nate Ament and Ja’Kobi Gillespie did not have the best shooting nights, but they did enough to propel the Vols to victory, with Gillespie leading the team with 21 points. Bishop Boswell put up a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Vols dominated UGA on the glass as three players, Estrella, Okpara, and Boswell, finished with at least nine rebounds.

Tennessee will wrap up play in January on Saturday as the Vols host Auburn. It will be the first time Tennessee has played in Knoxville since the Kentucky loss.

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