Ja'Kobi Gillespie scored 17 points to lead Tennessee to victory
Nate Ament's go-ahead jumper came with less than a minute to play
Vanderbilt's Tyler Tanner missed a potential tying 3-pointer with three seconds left
Jaylen Carey faced heckling in his first game at his former team's arena
📖 Full Retelling
Ja'Kobi Gillespie scored 17 points to lead Tennessee to a 69-65 victory over No. 19 Vanderbilt in a back-and-forth Southeastern Conference game at Nashville's Memorial Gym on Saturday, February 21, 2026. The Volunteers improved to 20-7 overall and 10-4 in conference play with the hard-fought win. A crucial turnaround jumper by Nate Ament, who was double-teamed by Commodores Jalen Washington and Chandler Bing, gave Tennessee a 66-65 lead with less than a minute remaining in the contest. Ament finished the game with 13 points for the Volunteers.
After Ament's go-ahead basket, Vanderbilt sent Tennessee to the free-throw line twice, where the Volunteers made only 2 of 4 attempts. Vanderbilt's Tyler Tanner, who led the Commodores with 16 points, missed a potential tying 3-point attempt from the top of the arc with three seconds left. Amari Evans sealed the victory with a free throw with one second remaining for the final score. The Commodores had endured a 9:58 scoring drought that spanned from the end of the first half into the second before Tanner snapped the streak with a throwaway 3-pointer as the shot clock expired 3:50 into the second half.
Notably, Jaylen Carey, playing in his first game at Vanderbilt's Memorial Gym after transferring from Vanderbilt to Tennessee, faced heckling from Commodore fans throughout the match and finished with seven points. The rivalry aspect was further intensified by Carey's presence, as former Commodore fans booed him every time he touched the ball. Tennessee will now travel to Missouri on Tuesday night, while Vanderbilt will host Georgia on Wednesday night as both teams continue their SEC conference schedules.
Capital and largest city of Tennessee, United States
Nashville (, NASH-vil) is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, located on the Cumberland River. It is the 21st-most populous city in the United States and fourth-most populous city in the Southeast, with a populatio...
The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the 20 male and female varsity intercollegiate athletics programs that represent the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the Southe...
Intercollegiate sports teams of Vanderbilt University
The Vanderbilt Commodores are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt fields 17 varsity teams (6 men's teams and 11 women's teams), 14 of which compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level...
Tennessee's win keeps its strong conference record and improves its position for the SEC tournament. The close game against a top-20 opponent also shows Tennessee's resilience and may influence rankings and draft prospects.
Context & Background
Tennessee finished the season with a 20-7 overall record and 10-4 in the SEC
Vanderbilt entered the game ranked No. 19 with a 21-6 overall record
The game featured a late comeback by Vanderbilt that was halted by a missed 3-pointer
What Happens Next
Tennessee will prepare for its next conference matchup while maintaining momentum for the SEC tournament. Vanderbilt will regroup and focus on upcoming games to stay in contention for postseason play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the leading scorer for Tennessee?
Ja'Kobi Gillespie scored 17 points
What was the final score of the game?
Tennessee won 69-65 over Vanderbilt
Did Vanderbilt have a chance to tie the game?
Yes, Tyler Tanner missed a 3-point attempt with three seconds left
Original Source
Ja'Kobi Gillespie leads Tennessee to 69-65 win over No. 19 Vanderbilt Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 17 points as Tennessee outlasted No. 19 Vanderbilt 69-65 in a back-and-forth affair By JACK WILLIAMS Associated Press February 21, 2026, 5:05 PM NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Ja'Kobi Gillespie scored 17 points as Tennessee outlasted No. 19 Vanderbilt 69-65 in a back-and-forth affair on Saturday. A turnaround jumper by Nate Ament, who was double-teamed by Commodores Jalen Washington and Chandler Bing, gave the Volunteers (20-7, 10-4 Southeastern Conference) a 66-65 lead with less than a minute to play. Ament finished with 13 points. After that shot, Vanderbilt (21-6, 8-6) sent Tennessee to the line twice, with the Volunteers making 2 of 4 attempts. Vanderbilt's Tyler Tanner missed a 3-point attempt from the top of the arc with three seconds left that would have tied it. Amari Evans added a free throw with one second left for the final score. Jaylen Carey, who played in his first game at Vanderbilt's Memorial Gym after transferring from Vanderbilt to Tennessee, was heckled by Commodore fans every time he touched the ball. He finished with seven points. Tanner led the Commodores with 16 points and got them out of a 9:58 scoring funk that extended from the end of the first half early into the second. He scored on a throwaway 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to snap the skid 3:50 into the second half. Popular Reads Nancy Guthrie live updates: More than 1 suspect not ruled out, sheriff's office says 44 minutes ago Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor released after arrest on suspicion of misconduct Feb 19, 4:23 PM Nancy Guthrie case: Person released as search for 'armed individual' continues Feb 10, 11:15 PM Tennessee: At Missouri on Tuesday night. Vanderbilt: Hosts Georgia on Wednesday night. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-bas...
