“Rocky Top is the best fanbase in the country,” Tennessee freshman Brandon Huntley-Hatfield said after the Vols took down Auburn on Saturday.
The electricity was swirling in the air an hour before the game began in Knoxville. The Vols were about to put their home-court undefeated streak on the line with Bruce Pearl and the No. 3 Auburn Tigers coming into town. And just a few hours later, that wave of electricity from Thompson Boling Arena helped Tennessee secure the victory.
No. 17 Tennessee took down No. 3 Auburn by a score of 67-62 on Saturday.
The Vols have had several high-profile games in Knoxville this season with No. 6 Arizona and No. 4 Kentucky coming first to mind. However, after the victory over Auburn, the Vols now have a new best-win inside the building.
“I do believe we have the best home-court advantage,” Barnes said after the game. “I do. I think our fans are great. I just told them it’s great to be a Tennessee Volunteer. But they made a difference [tonight]. Our student section has been outstanding. I told our guys, first time I’ve said it honestly since I’ve been here, if you guys get it going on defense we will get the crowd in this game. And I’ve never alluded to a crowd – I don’t know if I’ve ever done it in my career, to be honest with you. And I don’t know why I did it today. But I did say that during a timeout. I said, ‘If you guys will come out of here and get it turned up on the defensive end, make some things happen, this place will come to life.’ And it did.”
Once again this season, Tennessee had a sellout against Auburn in Thompson Boling Arena, with 21,678 in attendance according to ESPN.
“The largest crowd before this that I played in front of was maybe 500 people,” Zeigler said after the win over Auburn. “Coming to this is amazing. It’s a different feeling.”
Zakai Zeigler is one happy kid after the Vols’ victory over Auburn. pic.twitter.com/U1KxkPY9Mv
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) February 27, 2022
Zeigler says that Tennessee’s crowd is so powerful during games, it’s like having another teammate on the court.
“The crowd was amazing,” Zeigler said. “They gave us that extra boost. Even when Auburn did come down and score, it felt like they didn’t. So the crowd played a huge part in this game.”
Below is Rocky Top Insider’s arena experience and game highlights video from Saturday’s contest against Auburn. In the video are pregame coverage shots, timeout interactions, game highlights, and postgame coverage. In addition, check out the star-studded guest list including Dale Ellis and Trey Smith.
Whether you missed out on being at the game live and in-person or whether you just want to relive the victory, this should do the trick.
