Nate Ament scored 28 points, Ja’kobi Gillespie added 20 and No. 25 Tennessee rode a second-half surge to win its fourth consecutive game by defeating Ole Miss 84-66 on Tuesday night in Knoxville, Tenn.
Gillespie bounced back from a foul-plagued 11-point outing against Auburn on Saturday to surpass his team-leading season average (18.6). AJ Estrella had 12 points and nine rebounds and Bishop Boswell added 10 points and eight boards for the Volunteers (16-6, 6-3 SEC), who had a 58-41 scoring advantage in the second half.
Patton Pinkins and AJ Storr scored 15 points each, Ilias Kamardine added 11 and Eduardo Klafke had 10 for the Rebels (11-11, 3-6).
Gillespie hit a 3-pointer to start the second-half scoring, Dewayne Brown II added a three-point play shortly after, as the Vols increased their one-point halftime lead to six.
The margin reached eight before Storr made a 3-pointer to cut the Rebels’ deficit to 43-38. However, Tennessee pushed the lead to 11 with Gillespie’s 3-pointer midway through the half. Ament scored a three-point play, then added a jumper and two free throws to grow the lead to 16 and put the Vols in control.
Ole Miss coach Chris Beard was ejected after receiving two technical fouls with 6:15 remaining.
The Vols made 23 of 34 free throws and the Rebels made 13 of 21.
Estrella scored six points, Gillespie made a 3-pointer and Ament added a layup during a 9-0 run that gave the Vols a 12-5 lead. Pinkins made a 3-pointer to end the run and Malik Dia added a free throw to pull the Rebels within three points.
Gillespie and Troy Henderson responded with consecutive 3-pointers, but Klafke made a jumper and Kamardine and Pinkins made consecutive 3-pointers during an 8-0 run that got Ole Miss within 18-17.
Jaylen Carey answered with a jumper, Tennessee’s last field goal for 6:30. But the Vols didn’t relinquish the lead and Gillespie ended the drought with a 3-pointer that produced a 26-20 lead.
Storr made a jumper and converted a three-point play, pulling Ole Miss within 26-25 at halftime.
