February 14, 2026 — Tennessee pulled away from LSU 73-63 at Food City Center in Knoxville, TN. The Volunteers improved to 18-7 overall and 8-4 in SEC play, while the Tigers fell to 14-11 and 2-10 in conference play. Attendance was 21,678.
First half
Tennessee built a 35-29 halftime lead, shooting 50 percent from the field while holding LSU to 34.6 percent. J.P. Estrella scored 10 first-half points, and Ja’Kobi Gillespie opened the game with a three-pointer as the Vols pushed the lead to 12. LSU stayed within range behind a pair of threes from Mazi Mosley.
Top performers
| Player | Team | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nate Ament | Tennessee | 22 | 6-19 | 0-3 | 10-11 | 9 | 1 |
| J.P. Estrella | Tennessee | 16 | 7-9 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 9 | 0 |
| Jalen Reece | LSU | 15 | 4-8 | 3-5 | 4-4 | 0 | 4 |
| Marquel Sutton | LSU | 15 | 6-15 | 1-3 | 2-2 | 9 | 0 |
| Pablo Tamba | LSU | 13 | 4-8 | 2-3 | 3-8 | 2 | 1 |
| Ja’Kobi Gillespie | Tennessee | 12 | 4-9 | 4-8 | 0-0 | 2 | 6 |
Second half
LSU tied the game at 35 early in the second half on threes from Tamba and Reece. Sutton’s free throws gave the Tigers a brief 42-41 lead. Tennessee answered with a Gillespie three and an Estrella tip-in to push ahead 55-50. LSU cut it to four at 60-64, but Ament sealed it at the line, hitting 6-of-6 free throws in the final two minutes. Tennessee outrebounded LSU 45-24, including 16 offensive boards that produced 22 second-chance points. Gillespie added 12 points and a game-high six assists.
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