Daughty lights it up as Vols fall to No. 17 Auburn on Senior Day
Saturday’s matchup against 17th-ranked Auburn was a bittersweet one for Tennessee basketball, and it had nothing to do with the final score.
Facing off against the Tigers for the second time in a two-week span, the Vols had some sentimental business to take care of before taking the floor, as senior guards Lamonte Turner and Jordan Bowden were honored prior to the opening tip.
Both rank in the top 10 of UT’s all-time 3-pointers made list, and both have had their fair share of memorable moments under Rick Barnes.
Despite a raucous crowd and emotions riding high, the Vols were unable to capitalize on that emotional uplift.
John Fulkerson tallied 18 points and seven rebounds, Jordan Bowden scored 17 points to go along with four assists and Santiago Vescovi rounded out the scoring with 13 points as Tennessee succumbed to Auburn’s onslaught from beyond the arc,
Samir Doughty led the Tigers with 32 points on 10-of-16 shooting as Bruce Pearl’s team totaled 14 3-pointers on the afternoon.
Even though the Vols surrendered a 17-point second half lead in Auburn on Feb. 22, Barnes hadn't saw a more complete performance from UT's contemporary all season.
"I thought that was the best I've seen (Auburn) them play all year, and give them credit for that," Barnes said. "They played like a team today that was fighting for second place in the league and a seed."
What looked to be a promising afternoon for the Vols quickly turned south as Tennessee struggled out of the gates offensively. Fulkerson recorded four of UT’s opening eight points, but the scoring would soon be hard to come by.
The Vols were able to remain within striking distance for much of the opening half, but a six-minute stretch that saw the Vols held without a basket helped the Tigers take a 42-31 lead into the locker room.
From that point on, it was the Daughty show.
The junior guard scored 17 points and hit five 3-pointers over the course of the final 20 minutes, destroying any possibility of a Tennessee comeback.
In spite of Daughty's hot shooting, Bowden's upbeat attitude during timeouts kept UT's hopes alive.
"We didn't execute our game plan as we should have," Bowden said. "We let Daughty get off...(just a) lack of focus on that end, but I just kept telling the team to keep fighting and keep pushing."
The Vols used a 14-3 run and made four consecutive shots to cut the deficit to six with 11:56 to play, but Daughty came back with another three less than a minute later to extend Auburn's lead back to 61-53.
Bowden hit a free throw to bring UT within seven, but Tennessee never got any closer
Auburn knocked down an additional 4 threes over the course of the final 10 minutes, outscoring the Vols 22-9 during that stretch. It wasn't just in that category that the Tigers dominated, either.
Pearl's team outrebounded Tennessee 42-26, leading to 13 second chance points and 12 offensive boards. During a game in which Auburn was on fire from outside, it certainly didn't do the Vols any favors in that regard.
UT missed its final seven shots, including 15 of its last 16, as the Tigers ended the game on a 13-1 run.
Tennessee will be back in action next week in Nashville for the SEC Tournament.
