Ament Ignites Tennessee in Second-Half Surge
A sluggish first half gave way to a second-half explosion for No. 25 Tennessee, as the Volunteers pulled away from Ole Miss for a decisive 84-66 victory in Knoxville Tuesday night. Freshman forward Nate Ament was the catalyst, pouring in 26 of his game-high 28 points after halftime to propel the Vols to their fourth straight win. After a gritty, low-scoring first half that saw Tennessee cling to a 26-25 lead, Ament took over.
The game's complexion shifted dramatically in the second period. A flagrant foul on an Ole Miss player seemed to energize the Volunteers, who quickly extended their lead. Ament was unstoppable, punctuating his performance with a long three-pointer as the shot clock wound down, sending the home crowd into a frenzy and pushing the lead to double digits. Ja’Kobi Gillespie provided crucial support, finishing with 20 points, including five three-pointers. The night ended on a sour note for the visitors when Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard was ejected after receiving a double technical foul for running onto the court.
QUICK HITS
- Texas Holds Off Gamecocks: Junior wing Dailyn Swain's second consecutive double-double (22 PTS, 10 REB) powered the Texas Longhorns to an 84-75 home win over South Carolina. The victory overshadowed a massive offensive night from Gamecocks guard Meechie Johnson, who erupted for a career-high 35 points in the losing effort.
- Kentucky Adjusts Practice to Combat Slow Starts: Following frustratingly slow starts, the Kentucky Wildcats have implemented higher intensity, game-like simulations into their practice routines. The changes appeared to pay immediate dividends in their recent 85-77 victory at Arkansas, where the Wildcats came out with noticeably greater intensity from the opening tip. The team hopes this new approach will solve the first-half issues that have plagued them this season.
- Texas A&M Baseball Announces Scrimmage: The No. 25 ranked Texas A&M baseball team will give fans a preview of the upcoming season by hosting an open scrimmage this Saturday, February 7, at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park. Gates will open at noon for the 1 p.m. first pitch.
- O'Keefe Wins for Texas Golf: Texas junior Farah O'Keefe won the individual medalist honors in a playoff at the Therese Hession Regional Challenge in California on Tuesday. Her victory helped the No. 11 Longhorns secure a second-place team finish, defeating several other top-ranked SEC programs, including No. 6 Florida and No. 7 Texas A&M.
PORTAL WATCH
Linebacker Hayden Dawahare has committed to the University of Kentucky. The Lexington native arrives after previously being a walk-on for the Wildcats.
RECRUITING BUZZ
No new commitments to report from across the SEC in the last 12 hours.
