Tennessee Basketball Suffers Defeat Against Kentucky in Rupp Arena

Tennessee lost to rivals Kentucky 74-71 on Saturday night after a huge comeback from the Wildcats.

Feb 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Andrija Jelavic (4) grabs a rebound against Tennessee Volunteers forward Dewayne Brown II (6) during the first half at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The Tennessee Volunteers squared off against rivals Kentucky on Saturday night in what was the second thrilling contest between the two this season. The first one did not go Tennessee’s way, losing 74-71 in Knoxville, but the Volunteers would look to avoid the season sweep versus the Wildcats. 

Tennessee gave Felix Okpara the go-ahead to play in the game after missing the weekday game against Ole Miss, although coach Rick Barnes put him on a minutes restriction and had him come off the bench.

Tennessee Falls to Kentucky Again

Feb 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Trent Noah (9) drives to the basket around Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament (10) during the first half at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Tennessee dominated the first half. They took a 10-point lead at the 7:06 mark and never looked back. Nate Ament was hitting on all-cylinders and the Vols put up almost 50 points. 

Defensively, they were also really good, and they held Kentucky to only 33 points. By the end of the half, the Vols led 47-33. 

The second half was the complete opposite of the Volunteers. They struggled heavily to hit shots, while at times it seemed the Wildcats could not miss. Kentucky took its first lead since the first six minutes of the game with six minutes left in the contest and outscored Tennessee 28-13 over that time span.  

The two schools would go back-and-forth over the course of the final few minutes as Kentucky would take a one-point, 68-67, lead with 1:27 seconds left. Nate Ament would give the Volunteers the lead again with 59 seconds left. Kentucky responded promptly as Otega Oweh found an open Collin Chandler on the wing, and he drilled his three-point attempt. 

Nate Ament would try to tie the game, but his fadeaway fell short, so Tennessee would have to play the foul game.

Kentucky’s Malachi Moreno would go one-for-two from the line, giving the Volunteers a chance to tie with a three-pointer with 14 seconds to go. Unfortunately, Kentucky would smartly foul J.P. Estrella, which sent him to the line, not allowing Tennessee to go for the tie. He would make both, and then a wild sequence of events unfolded, which started with Collin Chandler missing his free throw try, but Kentucky getting the rebound, and then Florida transfer Denzel Aberdeen clutched up and made both ensuing free throws to extend the Wildcats lead to three.

Still, Tennessee had one last chance at the buzzer. Ja’Kobi Gillipesie fired a half-court heave at the buzzer, and it was almost perfect. The shot was right down the middle, off the backboard, hit the front of the rim, but was just slightly too strong and rimmed out.

The loss marked the end of a four-game winning streak for Tennessee, which started after losing to Kentucky in Knoxville.  Ament continued to show signs of improvement with 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting on the night. Tennessee’s next game is Wednesday night against Mississippi State at 9:00 P.M. in Starkville.

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