No. 5 seed Tennessee needed everything from Nate Ament, returning from injury, in its 72-62 win over No. 12 Auburn in the SEC Tournament.

Auburn coach Steven Pearl made his own case Thursday for the Tigers capping his debut season with an NCAA Tournament berth. “We deserve to be in the tournament,” Pearl said after Auburn's fourth loss in six games.

The Volunteers' star freshman is questionable ahead of their clash with Auburn.

The Auburn Tigers play against the Tennessee Volunteers in the second round of the SEC Basketball Tournament today. Fans can watch this game for free.

Nate Ament scored 27 points as the 25th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers rallied from an 11-point deficit and beat Auburn 72-62 Thursday to reach the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals. The fifth-seeded Volunteers (22-10) will play No.

Game summary of the Auburn Tigers vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs NCAAM game, final score 79-61, from March 11, 2026 on ESPN.

With every game being crucial for Auburn basketball’s NCAA Tournament chances, the Tigers survived its first-round game of the SEC Tournament. Auburn knocked off Mississippi State 79-61 Wednesday afternoon and will matchup against the Tennessee Volunteers Thursday in the second round.

The most experienced corner outside of Jordan and Pleasant in Auburn’s room is Chattanooga transfer Kamari Todd, who played in multiple defensive back roles for the Mocs last season. Florida State transfer Shamar Arnoux started four games for the Seminoles in 2025 and is the only other Auburn corner with meaningful starting experience.